Click here to leave your comment
Click here to close the comment form
Please leave us a comment. To avoid misuse all posts are pre-moderated. Your email address will not be displayed when you leave a comment.
Tel: +44 (0)1905 312 921
I went and saw wish you were here. When the cast put the masks on they are on the same playing field. It was a fantastic show. And the way Rachael gets the best out of the cast is very good.
ReplyWe thoroughly enjoyed yesterday’s performance of Wish You Were Here. The best part for me was seeing how much the performers enjoyed taking part. The hard work and dedication of all involved had certainly paid off. The attention to detail was a delight too, from sharks to sausages and artwork adorning the walls ( I especially liked the giant crab and his scary pincers!) ...and of course the wonderful masks.
Keep up the good work.
ReplyWhat a sheer delight to work with Rachael she has taught me such a lot, a true inspiration a wonderful support and a real trooper I am very privelliged to know her and the help and input during the production of Wish You Were Here has bee invaluable.Thank you so much my heart is bursting with the enthusiasm and joy of Mask work that you have instilled into me. Xxxxxxx Angie
ReplyHasn’t it been an amazing journey Angie, to think how far the whole group has developed and grown over the last eight months of mask work? I’ve loved every minute. See you at Finding Joy in the Autumn, love, love and more love Rachael
ReplyWe have loved Vamos theatre productions for sometime now, starting in Shrewsbury with ‘Much Ado about Wenlock’ through to ‘The Best Thing’. I was excited to hear about Vamos projects in the community and travelled from Shrewsbury to Kidderminster this morning to see ‘Wish You Were Here’. Not only did we see a great show with inspiring performances, but afterwards learned from Rachael about all the months of hard work and dedication that led up to today. The group had made their own masks and had learned about using the whole body to convey expression and emotion. We were treated to extracts from the rehearsal process which gave us an insight into the commitment Vamos make to supporting arts development in the community. It was lovely to spend time chatting to Rachael after the show and I was thrilled to be up close to some of the masks I had seen in shows such as ‘Nursing Lives’ the opportunity to try one on helped understand the skill needed to wear and perform in a mask during a theatre show. So pleased to hear of new Arts Council funding awarded to Vamos - richly deserved and hopefully will lead to more innovative work both in the theatre and in a variety of community venues. Keep up the good work and looking forward to your next show, new, or an old favourite!
ReplyThank you Sandra. One of the driving forces we have at Vamos is making theatre that’s accessible to as many people as possible - and so the work we do with community groups, or in care homes, or other places outside the conventional theatre setting is just as important, if not more so, than our theatre tours. The good news about our NPO funding is that it will allow us to do more to reach new audiences in the future. Thank you SO much for travelling to see Wish You Were Here, and for supporting us in our community work - so glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyVAMOS Theatre visited our care home today and performed their interactive ‘Sharing Joy’ show for our wonderful residents living with dementia. It was absolutely amazing and everyone was engaged and participated in the marvellous show. Our 103 year old, who was once an award winning ballroom dancer, and whom we have never managed to persuade to dance in the 9 months that I have known her, couldn’t wait to accept an offer from the cast to twirl her gently around the dancefloor. Another gentleman was so engrossed in singing and swaying in his chair with another member of the cast that he became quite emotional, and of course in turn, so did we! Absolutely amazing with such an array of characters and activities that completely engrossed everyone watching and taking part. A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking performance. Thank you so much VAMOS. Looking forward to Finding Joy in September.
ReplyI’m so thrilled that Sharing Joy was well received by your residents and carers alike. This kind of feedback is so useful and heart warming. Really looking forward to seeing you at Finding Joy in the Autumn- please do let us know when you are coming so that we can come and have a chat. Thank you, love Rachael
ReplyI was at The Courtyard, Hereford today for Sharing Joy, it was brilliant! It was great fun and so moving and definitely lived up to it’s title - it was a privilege to take part and ‘share the joy’!
ReplyBrilliant- come and find yet more joy on September 15th when we open ‘Finding Joy’ for our Autumn tour. That night will be a real celebration, as it’s the venue that co-produced it- come and be part of it!
ReplyWent to see Vamos Theatre last year at the Edinburgh fringe,really enjoyed it.Are you there this year?
ReplyHiya Georgia,
ReplyGreat to hear you enjoyed Finding Joy in Edinburgh last year: we won’t be there again this year, as we had too many touring commitments, but we have a new UK tour of Finding Joy in the Autumn, The Best Thing at Perigeaux Festival in France in July, and a brand new show, A Brave Face, touring from early 2018 - so really hope you can make one of those performances!
Today we had a VAMOS presentation with Rachael. The session was interactive, fun and was presented excellently. Right from the start everyone was really enjoying and taking part in the activities, i thought the session itself was really moving, the message portrayed was easily picked up through the activities and it has left me with a desire to further develop some of the information I gained.
I’d like to thank Rachael for her time today as I think it was invaluable having someone with many years of experience in theater to present the work of VAMOS, it to certainly make the experience a memorable one.
Reply“Finding Joy” in Erding (Germany), April 27th
ReplyThank you for this short escape into such a wonderful warmhearted and sensitive world without words!
We have only recently discovered Vamos theatre and it has been wonderful to see both ‘The Best Thing’ and ‘Finding Joy’. Both plays were excellent, one moment we were laughing the next we were moved to tears - and not a word spoken! We are now devoted fans and eagerly await the next production, very best wishes for your European tour and keep up the great work!
ReplyMy friend booked this up…we had decided over last year or two to try all sorts of theatrical ‘experiences’ that would stretch us into unknown possibilities! We had seen theatre and ballet live and via live screenings over past year but this blew my mind away. The best thing I’ve seen live on stage? Well, can’t think of anything else, certainly not in past ten years or so that made me laugh, cry and spontaneous to applaud. And when four cast members stop to take their bows and removed their masks a shock wave hit the audience! Only four people to play all those parts. And two men and two women!! How can it possibly be true!! Sheer genius. How could they make expressionless masks so full of expression.
My only sorrow was that my husband was on call and could not be there too. This was a truly memorable experience. I almost cannot describe it to people..no words.. Masks but full of expression… Joy and sadness. Laughter and tears. The story unfolding. I am standing g now to give the cast a standing ovation. Go see these guys if you can and if you can’t stillgoand see them! Thank you so much. Jo x
ReplyThank you Jo, fantastic to hear that you enjoyed the show so much, and that it stood up amongst all the different theatre experiences you’ve gone to recently (what a great idea, by the way). The cast will be really happy to hear how much you liked it (they enjoy giving people a shock when the masks come off!). If you haven’t done already, please do join our mailing list (the link’s at the top of the page in the header) as we’ve got quite a lot of different shows and events coming up that you’d find out about first…thanks again for coming, and to everyone else who’s posted during the tour of The Best Thing.
ReplyWent to see Vamos for the third time, at The Courtyard Hereford, and was not disappointed. I became totally engrossed in the story and characters. It made me laugh and made me cry; especially as it was very close to part of my own family history. A wonderful theatre company and well worth keeping track of to see what they are up to.
Replycaught the best thing show in Worthing last night
Replybrilliant
The Best Thing was the best thing. For anyone who hasn’t seen a Vamos production yet-you absolutely must. Funny, sad beautifully done. Within minutes you forget that there are no words because you can hear every word.
ReplyJust seen The Best Thing and it was so original and thought provoking. The body language and the masks conveying all the emotion and poignancy was totally absorbing. I particularly liked the two scenes showing the different perspectives of how Susan really felt about giving up her daughter - incredibly moving. All of it was brilliant though! Thank you for an amazing show!
ReplyI’ve just been entranced by ‘The Best Thing’ in Uley. Absolutely excellent. Wonderful characterisation and such emotion conveyed despite or maybe because of the masks.
ReplyOur family of 3 has just seen this performance at Prema , Uley. From start to finish it was totally moving and beautifully done. The four actors playing multiple roles were exceptional. What was really illuminating was right at the end when all four got to remove their masks, revealing just how young some of them were in comparison to the old ladies and gentlemen they were playing and the actor playing the, boyfriend, the nurse and the adopted mother! Brilliant mask acting and a real pleasure to go and see.
In the days when babies of unmarried mothers were taken away when it was “for the best” seem so long ago. We all felt the emotion and it gave much food for thought. Thank you Vamos and also Prema for putting this brilliant production on.
ReplyFantastic show last night at he Bridge House Theatre, Warwick. “The Best Thing” is a very funny and moving production with a great soundtrack. We particularly loved the typing and giving birth sections. Well done to the cast and thank you!!
ReplyWhat a fabulous play ‘The Best Thing’ is and so refreshingly different. A very clever display of various emotions through body language and the masks portrayed the characters well. You all were brilliant in your many roles! Well done. I enjoyed every single moment of it and look forward to seeing you again.
Replywent, with my husband, to see ‘The Best Thing’ last night at the Conquest Theatre in Bromyard. It was fantastic! Innovative and entertaining. Why don’t more people support travelling theatre groups and their local playhouses - they are really missing out. Well done Vamos - you were all brilliant!
ReplyA big thank you to everyone who’s taken time to comment on The Best Thing in March - the cast have had a ball on the road and have really appreciated the warm audience responses on the night: it’s even nicer when you take the time to comment here - so thank you!
Replyit was amazeing i could watch it a million times and wouldnt get bored
ReplyLoved The Best Thing in Birmingham last night. Amazing the amount of emotion that was shown despite the expressions never changing. Plus the music really struck a chord with mŷ generation!
ReplyI saw The Best Thing with my friend at The Mac in Birmingham last night. It was a brilliant performance. Funny, poignant, sad, and thought provoking. Wonderful performances from all, Thank you. Go and see it! and if you get chance to catch their shows, Finding Joy and Nursing Lives, they’re brilliant too.
ReplyWe also went yesterday to watch The Best Thing at South Street in Reading and like Peter & Linda enjoyed every single minute. Absolutely amazing!
ReplyJust seen The Best Thing at South Street Reading. We thoroughly enjoyed the show and can highly recommend this to anyone considering a future performance. We will keep an eye out for future work from Vamos theatre.
ReplyI went to SPARC at Bishops Castle last Friday with 2 of my daughters,we were so impressed with The Best Thing, thoroughly enjoyed it! Congratulations on a wonderful piece of theatre . We definitely want to see more of your productions in future,thank you!
ReplySaw The Best Thing at SpArC Bishops Castle last night. It certainly was the best thing! Funny, sad, clever, thought provoking, and much much more. Brilliant evenings entertainment, provided by such talented people. Thank you. Can’t wait to see your next production. X
ReplyWe saw your production of The Right Thing at the SpArc theatre last night. What a fantastic evening. You are genius! The subject could of been a really depressing one, but you managed to portray the story with such humanity, and a good sprinkling of humour, so that it made for a very engaging story. Your set, masks and the music were all so clever, and really enhanced the whole thing. We will be coming to see you again on your next tour, and plan to bring the rest of the family!
ReplyLast night at The Sparc Theatre we watched The Best Thing. Even before the play started the music created a great atmosphere & when the play started we were not dissapointed. Absorbed from the first second , feeling a roller coaster of emotions I have NEVER enjoyed anything so much !! Thank you so much . Everyone should give this a whirl.
ReplyThank you for a wonderful evening spent at The Best Thing in Whitchurch last night. Our friend saw this in Shrewsbury last week and raved about it so we booked to go last night and we were so glad we did. The acting was brilliant, the topic thought-provoking (taking us expertly on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey) and the whole experience was just so clever and fantastic. We want to see more!!!
ReplyWe saw The Best Thing last night and want to thank you for an excellent performance. It is so clever, funny and very moving. Considering that there are no moving facial expressions, the range of emotions that the characters portray through body language is incredible. The birth scene was hilarious. Can’t wait to see more of your productions.
ReplyFANTASTIC! Saw the Best Thing tonight in Whitchurch and it was so clever we were amazed. Touching story, fabulous soundtrack and superb acting - it was so hard to believe that the masked faces didn’t move so expressive were they. Tall skinny guy’s characters very amusing! Can’t wait till you are round again with another production.
ReplyWe loved “The Best Thing” at Bangor, North Wales this evening ! Thank you SO much for bringing your wonderful production to us. The skill of the cast, most especially the subtle nuances of body and head movements, was consummate. The scenery was simple but very clever. A moving tale told with passionate acting. Quite brilliant !
ReplyWent to watch ‘the best thing’ tonight at theatre Severn. I loved it, very clever and emotional. Well done all 4 of you. Would love to see another production. Finding Joy is definitely on my to see list. So original can’t wait to see more of your productions. Thankyou thoroughly enjoyed it
ReplyI bought tickets for “The Best Thing” on a bit of a whim and impulse, I am so glad that I did.
ReplyThe wordless story unfolds seamlessly with clever and inventive use of image projection, creative sound-overs (particularly loved the world cup broadcast over the love-making shadow scene), choreography and most particularly the use of the four actor’s bodies in motion to convey thought and emotion. The piece was in equal parts; funny, moving, thought-provoking, evocative and totally engaging from start to finish. Thank you Vamos !
I came to the performance in Milton Keynes and found the play very moving and powerful. I have worked with adopted adults for many years and felt you knew your subject very well. You captured every nuance of the emotional lives of the many people who were adopted in that era, through the brilliant acting, the masks and the mime. I felt the essence of rejection, sadness and loss in every character and in every scene. The portrayal of the adopted mother in particular was amazing, her disappointment was captured perfectly in her facial expression. It is a brilliant production and is made more poignant and powerful by it’s lack of words and use of masks. I wish every person working in adoption could see this play.
ReplyI do think you should add a few words at the end of the show that says “if anyone has been affected by this play they can contact ......” Because I did wonder how it would feel to relate in a very real way to one particular character.
I am so impressed with your work and will try to see your future productions.
We had seen the best thing before but I can honestly say that it was well worth seeing again. Vamps are marvellous at interpreting the emotions involved when telling these stories. Thanks for a wonderful night out
ReplyI saw The best thing in Lincoln. I really enjoyed that. Great play, funny, great music! The actresses are talented, fantastic!
ReplyThe only thing, I did not understund everything what happened in the play. One woman said to me after the performance also. I like this speechless idea, but would be better if we would see some short comment on the wall, like in the Charlie Chaplin films. I hope this comment helps to you, I had a fab time in the Drill Hall that night!
Hi Gabs, thanks so much for coming to see The Best Thing and leaving your comment. The first half of the performance at Lincoln Drill Hall had a technical problem with the projector, which meant 7 images didn’t play. The images, mainly photos which Lisa and Bill are looking at, are intrinsic in telling the story, and so we’re not surprised that you found some of the plot hard to work out. Usually, our audiences find they can understand everything visually, without any speech or text, so it’s a real shame that the technical issue affected your experience of the show. If you’d like to be clearer about the plot, visit The Best Thing show page (click on the ‘shows’ tab at the top of the page). You’ll see a blue box just under the main picture labelled ‘The Best Thing Education Pack’. If you download the Pack, it has a full synopsis. Thanks again for coming, and hope that helps!
ReplySo enjoyed your performance at the Wollesley Theatre, Ipswich this evening. A friend asked me to come after seeing ‘The Best Thing’, last year. I wasn’t sure what to expect but absolutely loved it! Just amazed by how well you all conveyed the personalities of the characters and such a wide range of emotions. Thank you! I hope you come back soon.
ReplySaw ‘The Best Thing’ in Milton Keynes last night. Great theatre, I laughed and cried. Wonderful poigent performance. Thank you.
ReplySaw your amazing show last night. Brilliant. Two hours of tears and laughter. Never seen anything like it before.
ReplyI was blown away by this excellent show. Thank you Vamos Theatre Company for such a fantastic evening. One of the best theatre productions I’ve seen. I can’t wait to see more of your work in the future!
ReplyThank you Melanie, so glad you enjoyed the show. The best way to know about future tours is to be part of our mailing list, as we always announce new tours and performances there first. You can join at the bottom of the page…thanks again for commenting
ReplyAbsolutely brilliant. Hilariously funny and extremely poignant in equal measures. A really good night out.
ReplyJust returned from a performance of ‘The Best Thing’ at Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes which we thoroughly enjoyed. Great show. Surprised at how moving the experience was. Looking forward to your return to MK.
ReplyI liked the life performance because I liked the body language and the masks. And I liked the music that they played. I liked how they made the bedroom look like a shadow. I had a really nice day I really enjoyed my day.
ReplyThank you Louis, Georgie, Poppy, Kimberleigh, Rory, Abi, and Dan, and everyone at National Star College for inviting us to perform The Best Thing and share a workshop with you, Vamos loves National Star, and it was brilliant to visit again!
ReplyI loved the play. I liked that the play had no sound but had music.
ReplyI thought the workshop was fantastic. I didn’t want to wear one of the masks but I really enjoyed watching everyone else. I enjoyed acting.
ReplyI enjoyed the workshop and the play at the star college. I like the music the acting.
ReplyRachel from Vamos ran a workshop for some of the students. I was wearing a mask with Rachel it was interesting. I was doing a load of body language, acting and other stuff. I had a really nice day.
ReplyThe acting in the show was a wee bit emotional when she gave the baby away. It was great.
The workshop was brilliant, it was very clear what they wanted us to do. The acting was very good and it was emotional. I was sad when she gave they baby away. We saw Vamos last year and it was nice to see them again with a different show.
ReplyI thought it was emotional and I cried inside. I thought the show was good in some parts and I got to try one of the masks on in the workshop. I loved it.
ReplyMyself and two friends saw The Best Thing last night at The Point Eastleigh. I just wanted to thank and congratulate you for a wonderful show. The masks are so full of expression and instantly possess the personalities of the characters. Their expressions even appear to shift, such is the embodiment of expression the performers inhabit… truly lovely!
The piece was particularly moving, and is still sitting with me today. I would certainly recommend it to audiences young and old. Thanks and best of luck for the rest of the tour.
ReplyCame to see the show at The Point this evening and I’m so pleased I did..wow it was fabulous,brilliantly done..funny & emotional..so much of it took me back to my youth…both for happy & sad memories…well done to the cast for excellent performances..I look forward to future shows in the near future…
Replyi have just had one of the most enjoyable theatre evenings watching the show! An absolute JOY! I am left awestruck that so much emotion and expression could be conveyed in a silent performance. Amazing… loved it… can’t wait to see what show comes next. Well done all of you!!!
ReplyMe, my partner and granddaughter came to the show last night and i was blown away with performance, how wonderful that we had humor, sadness, and a very thought provoking show without a word being spoken. My granddaughter is only 13 and asked lots of question about why she could not keep the baby, how she must have felt having the baby taken away from her. How great is that!!!!!!
On arrival we did not know what to expect.
Well done to all involved i would certainly watch any of your performances in future. I am sure all will go well in the future.
ReplySaw ‘The Best Thing’ at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton tonight. Wasn’t sure what to expect but I was absolutely blown away. The whole show is incredible, the story, set, lighting masks, music but most of all the performers. I was convinced there were more than four of you. The powerful story was both hilarious and tragic. Really enjoyed every minute and would recommend it to all. My usual theatre preferences are popular musicals but this has opened my mind. Thank you.
ReplyMy friend and I saw your show on Saturday night. We thorough enjoyed it and think you are extremely talented
However having followed the first half we lost the plot in the second half.We would be very grateful if you could email explaining the story.It would allow me to rest and stop puzzlin g
Regards Vivienne
ReplyHi Vivienne, really glad to hear that you enjoyed the show on Saturday, thanks for coming. That evening we had a technical issue that meant three videos/images didn’t play on the screen. The images are pretty important in the telling of the story, and you missed ones that Lisa was showing to Bill about her childhood, and I think that could have had a big effect on not holding onto the plot! To read the complete plot synopsis, I recommend you head to The Best Thing show page on the website (via the shows button on the top black bar), and then click the blue Education Pack button you’ll see just below the main picture. It’s got a full synopsis in there. Hopefully that will make things clearer - just get back in touch if you need more! Thanks again for coming…
ReplyI went to see ‘The Best Thing’ at Malvern on Friday 10th February. Stunning, poignant, mesmorising, funny (in a very human way), deeply moving and unforgettable. Brilliant performances. No part was better than the whole. It made me cry because it reached into me and woke a part of me that I had forgotten was there. Unique and brilliant. Thank you Vamos.
ReplySaw “The Best Thing” at Malvern 11/2/17 and was delighted to see a different type of play, without language. Masked actors also meant a story told without facial expressions. Very refreshing, moving and effective due to the excellent actors and unspoken script. You have to see it for yourself and it is all in a good cause, too.
ReplySaw “The best thing” at Malvern - I laughed, I cried, what else is there to say? Live theatre at its very best! Oh and I’ve bought tickets to see it again at Bromyard!
ReplyJust seen ‘The best thing’ brilliant so well crafted and a joy to be so engaged as the story unfolds. Thanks to all involved
ReplyDear Vamos,
ReplyLast night I was overwhelmed by your production of ‘The Best Thing’ at Malvern Theatres.
I laughed, wondered, sang along, and cried my eyes out too. This was the best thing in theatre I have seen for ages.
Thank you so much
Alan Hogg
Not a sound - just my silent tears. An amazing show tonight. Thank you
ReplyExcellent, energetic, enthusiastic leading of Mask workshop@Festival Hall by Rachel. Ensuring all were ‘at ease’ she delivered a very full day of technique with encouragement, humour and patience. Regardless of their personal ambitions/state of mind/confidence everyone achieved a sense of belonging in the group and a chance for individual development. I cannot recommend Vamos enough for the wonderful work they do both for those interested in performance but also for all those in the community where their caring, understanding of, for example, dementia is outstanding. Many thanks Wendy
ReplyIt was a total joy to be working with a group of such eager professionals.
ReplyDo you have a date yet for a performance at the Spring Theatre, Havant, for 2017?!
ReplyThank you so much for the fantastic Full Mask workshop at the Southbank Centre. Packed with great activities and so many information and useful tools for performers and theatre makers. Rachael was a fantastic workshop leader: energetic, enthusiastic and incredibly supportive.Everyone felt safe and free to explore. We really felt “looked after’ throughout the whole day. I hope to explore much more mask work with you! Great Great GREAT work!
ReplyWhat a terrific and useful day at the Revealing the Mask workshop at Southbank! Rachael Savage couldn’t have been more engaging and helpful. She taught us so very much in such a short time. I walked in with little experience, but within hours I was devising an entire scene. Beautiful masks, clear instruction, and a joyful time for all. I highly recommend Vamos Theatre!
ReplyTonight I watched my son a year after he started with VYTC wow!!! His confidence his ability was fantastic. The piece was about PTSD they used bullying in school - I watched as my son who has been bullied so much over his school life - used every awful episode he has experienced to be a bully!
ReplyAfter I asked him how it felt to be a bully - Good Mum cause I was mean but we were acting so it didn’t hurt - as we get older we understand things better!!
Thanks Kathryn Alice Rachael and everyone for all your hard work
Well done to Vamos for being awarded major funding - just received your mailing list email. Brilliant news!
ReplyPerhaps you will consider venturing to the Isle of Wight?!
...about Vamos Young People’s Theatre…..“I wish it were Vamos Every Night!”
ReplyI have seen VAMOS in action on several occasions, and have had the privilege of working with them too in a workshop scenario, and they are by far one of the most inspiring theatre companies out there. Their work is so intricate and powerful, and as a fellow performer I have a great respect for them and their work.
ReplyHad the most wonderful afternoon doing your full mask workshop on Saturday with Honor. It was fantastic and I would love to do more. I haven’t cried with laughter like that in some time!
ReplyThanks very much to Honor who lead a brilliant actors workshop on Saturday- I hadn’t done mask work since uni and had never done full mask so it was a great way into this. It was a very supportive and positive workshop and has inspired me to try and get some more mask training!
ReplyHi Hannah
Thank you so much for taking the time to come and comment on our website. So pleased to hear that you enjoyed the workshop and it’s made you want to do more, there really is so much to learn when it comes to Mask. Do keep in touch.
ReplyThe children loved the performance. There was a hush in the hall as they saw their friends in the masks for the first time!
ReplyHi Diane, it was magical to hear the hall go to near silence when the masks came on stage, and the young actors did a brilliant job all week. We had such a wonderful week at Ganton, thank you for having us.
ReplyLucky enough to see the final performance of Finding Joy at the fringe on Sunday. Delighted to see a full house, and what a great show you delivered. I thought the humour was brilliant, it made me laugh more than many shows which bill themselves as comedy, and also had the capacity to move my wife to tears. Bravo and congratulations to all at Vamos who contributed in any way to delivering another epic piece of theatre.
ReplyThank you so much for taking the time to come and comment on our website. I’m so pleased you enjoyed the show. We had an exciting and exhausting time in Edinburgh. The team agreed, it was the fantastic audiences and comments that were the highlight for us…so thank YOU!
ReplyThought the music/soundtrack at Finding Joy in Edinburgh was particularly sympathetic to the nuances of the story. More than that, it glued the story/performance together and gave depth to the meaning conveyed.
ReplySuch a brilliant workshop with Rachael and Vamos Theatre at Ed Fringe! A whirlwind tour - brisk but thorough - around the essentials of working with mask. A plethora of top tips for the work they do, and so much fun. Excited and inspired to do more! Can’t wait to see their show at the festival. Thanks!
ReplyAbsolutely loved every minute of the express mask workshop at Ed Fringe this year, we packed so much into such a short space of time but it never felt rushed and I left full of new ideas and suggestions for my own work. It’s definitely worth learning about no matter what your discipline. Thanks guys!
ReplyWell done Kathryn and the team, VYPT was amazing and such a talented group of students. I have been privileged to watch them all grow in the last few weeks, brimming with confidence and a fantastic two nights of performances at The Hive and The Belgrade in Coventry. Keep up the good work! x
ReplyVamos Youth Theatre performance this evening at The Hive. Really proud Grand Mother I felt like I wanted to give them a standing ovation, they were just brilliant.
ReplyWe have just seen the first proper performance of the Vamos Young People’s Theatre group. It was amazing, so moving I had tears in my eyes they were brilliant. Kathryn you have done a truly spectacular job of turning these kids into great little (& not so little) performers of mask theatre, I know I saw their first little piece at Christmas I really did wonder then if it would be possible to get to a point like this!! You have and surpassed it!!
ReplyFor Henry to want to come every week away from his X box is a joy for me so thank you!
I participated “Revealing the mask” workshop in Jyvaskylan Kesa festival. What a great week it was! We learned so much about the mask theatre but also about ourselves. Rachael was such as great teacher and made us feel secure from the very first minute we stepped in to the room on Monday morning.
ReplyI am a primary school teacher and I wanted to learn how to use masks in my drama lessons with children. This course gave me the tools and a great enthusiasm. Mask theatre really is a great way to teach children many skills: art, theme and themselves.
Thank-you, hope to see you soon again!!
Revealing the mask workshop in Jyvaskylan Kesa festival was a powerfully creative experience. I enjoyed every minute of its 5 days training and encouragement. Rachael Savage as a director and teacher made us fully motivated co-working group by her professional touch and warm heart. The course ended up with a 20 minutes play. It is unbelivable how much we really had learned in a week. The show was a success. Many thanks to Vamos and Rachael and all classmates!
ReplyI participated to the “Revealing the mask” -course in jyvaskyla event. After the 5 day course, I felt that I had visited in a whole new world. I was very suspicious to work with the mask, and when now thinking of it, was childishly worried, that me and my personality, feelings and thoughts would be hidden behind the mask. Well, it was quite opposite. In my work as an business advisor, we discuss with customers intensively from challenging subjects of starting their own business. I have learned that in business advisors work, the main rule of prospering in customer service is the active listening and good questions. Advisors must keep notes in their mind, and remember the key points that would refine the business plan to the next level. Work with the mask teached me substantially about presence, concentration and working with a group, without words. I also noticed that it gave a boost for multisensory skills: when one of your sensors are limited, others intensify. I warmly recommend the mask theatre course for the advisors, consultants and experts, who want to take care of their personal development, beside the cold facts of the professional substance. In addition, when working with mask we were in safe hands with the director Rachael Savage, who herself is an embodiment of humanity and professionality in the same person. When creating a play and choreography from scratch, preparing the group of ten people to basics of mask theatre, leading and pushing them to their emotional and physical limits, as an objective to make a play within five days, needs a real, multi-level management, that could only be honored by participating to the course with the all that you got! I think we all did, being thankful, delighted and proud about the experience.
ReplyRealy enjoyed the show last night at the Garrick, Lichfield. Wonderfully funny and sad. The acting and professionalism was top notch and will look forward to any further productions.
ReplyReally enjoyed ‘The Best Thing’at Lichfield.4 skilled actors,expressive masks,a great selection of music and a thought-provoking story made for an excellent night. Looking forward to your next production!
ReplyWhat a great performance, full of warmth and humour and so evocative of the period. Wonderful masks and the actors all gave totally believable performances. We loved it and can’t wait to work with Vamos to learn about mask theatre.
ReplyWonderful production at Southwold. I have never seen any theatre like this before and so impressed. Amazed at how you can tell the story so well without being able to use facial expressions.
ReplyJust one suggestion: plastic carrier bags would not have been used in the 60s.
Thank you.
The Best Thing was wonderful! I laughed, I cried. I can’t wait to see more from them.
ReplyI saw ‘The Best Thing’ at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol - having missed it in my home town of Frome. I took a friend along and we were both utterly spellbound!
ReplyI shall make sure I see everything Vamos does in the future.
This weekend saw the end of The Best Thing tour, although, due to popular demand we are playing a few dates at the beginning of July. Thank you to everyone who has been to see the show. It’s been a great tour, visiting fantastic venues and playing to very warm (sometimes sobbing) audiences. Please keep in touch; each and ever comment is valuable to us. See you at another Vamos show soon.
ReplyA breath of fresh air to see something so different managing to combine comedy with pathos. We’ll watch out for more from Vamos.
ReplyI really miss going to see live theatre, but I have such poor hearing these days that I am unable to follow a plot unless it’s a story I know well. Only usually get to see kids’ shows! I LOVED your production of The Best Thing! I laughed and cried. Wonderful!
ReplyAnother brilliant show in Newbury last night, well done to all of you.
ReplyThis was the most amazing thing I have ever seen.It’s hard to believe how much can be conveyed in story and emotion just through acting with your body.It was so moving and easy to follow the story even though it was set in different times. Truly wonderful.
ReplyJust come home from watching the best thing. It was amazing, I laughed all the way through the first half and laughed to crying at the start of the second half. So funny but then it turned to sad and real tears were rolling down my cheeks. I could hear others sniffing and blowing noses. It was so moving and so sad. Came home and told my husband all about it. Then said to him, do you realise there was no speech. He was puzzled, as I had relayed the story in such detail. If you were in Milford Haven tomorrow I would take him and will definitely come to your next show. If you have a chance to see it, do. Thank you.
ReplyHi there,
Replywatched the performance on Monday was absolutely amazing. Was so funny and emotional am defiantly going to come and see another one of your mask performances.
Tacchi Morris, Taunton, last night witnessed the most powerful perforance I have seen from Vamos. The heart rending story of a young unmarried mother in the Sixties, brought tears to many in the audience. The quality of acting is so superb that not only do you not notice the absence of dialogue, but you are convinced that the masks actually show facial expression.
I was sad that the theatre wasn’t full and wonder if ‘The Gazette’ should play a greater part in advertising (without cost) performing art in all major venues in Taunton and other large towns in the area.
We invited four friends, who had never heard of Vamos, to come with us to last night’s performance. All were thoroughly entertained and moved, and look forward to future performances.
Reply