Mayakovsky Rehearsals

2nd week of rehearsals for Mayakovsky. The first week went by in a blur of learning lines and trying to remember how to walk and talk. Michael being very patient.
Andrew Rattenbury the writer took time off from writing Hollyoaks to come and visit us on the first day, laden with stacks of books on Mayakovsky and the Revolution.
I've been picking them up at any given moment. What has smacked me round the head is that when Mayakovsky says that he is a poet of the heart he was telling the truth. The words pour out of him. It is sad not to be able to understand his work in the original Russian as we inevitably lose the force of his rhyme and power of the sound of the word but Andrew has done an amazing job.
Speaking of the heart, we found a photo of him just after he'd shot himself. When I first knew that he has shot himself, I immediately imagined that it was in the head but there he was lying on the bed having shot himself in the heart. This was very moving and says so much about him, that his heart wasn't able to take any more. Unable to find love and acceptance in the revolution, with Lily Brik he was in complete despair.

Listen.
All that my soul possesses,
And just you try it's wealth to measure.
The magnificence,
which will glorify my footsteps into eternity.
And my immortality,
thundering through the eras.
All this.
Do you want it?
I would give right now,
for just one tender human word.

I think the most difficult part will be to tell the story of the man and not let it be dominated by the force of the poetry. Maybe when I stop thinking what's next we can get there! We'll see...

Welcome to Salida Productions Blog

Hi there,


Welcome to Salida Productions blog. We will be writing about all our experiences with the upcoming rehearsals for Mayakovsky and working with Circolombia on Macbeth. This will be a more informal take on all that is going on. So thanks for checking this out. Follow along and let us know your thoughts, feelings, reactions etc.
Cheers,
Ed, Andrea and Michael