Rural Touring Mentoring Scheme 'Mentee' Announced
PANDA, in partnership with Cheshire Rural Touring Network (CRTN), are pleased to announce that Deckchair have been selected as the ‘mentee’ for 2008, the fourth year of the Rural Touring Mentoring Scheme.
Deckchair was formed in 2007 as the collaboration between writer/performer Dave Lawton and producer/director Vicky Lane. Dave's background as a singer-songwriter, actor and comedian and Vicky's extensive experience in live comedy and theatre means the emphasis is definitely on entertainment. Music, humour and plenty of charm from brand-new work as the hallmarks of a Deckchair performance.
The company will benefit from a year of support that will lead to an understanding of the issues and contexts in which rural touring operates; including advice on marketing, pricing, administration, contracting, press and publicity, licensing, designing for small community spaces, technical considerations, artistic content and liaising with promoters.
The first stage will be to showcase their work at the Cheshire Rural Touring Network’s annual Promoters Day next month. Vicky and Dave from Deckchair will then be invited to visit other rural touring shows during the spring and attend the National Rural Touring Conference in June. Finally, their new play Life of a Failed Pop Star will be included in the CRTN Autumn Menu for Rural Touring.
Life of a Failed Pop Star is a bittersweet musical voyage through the highs and lows of a life lived in the thrall of pop culture. Wry and honest,with new music and lyrics written by Dave Lawton especially for the show, it is a show for anyone who has ever dreamed of escaping the ordinary.
Vicky of Deckchair commented,
"One of the major themes of Life of a Failed Pop Star is Dave's obsession with escape, living the rural idyll away from the city whilst still being a major Pop Star. He'd always thought in the past that this was the preserve of luminaries like Rick Wakeman and Madonna, but failing to be a synth maestro or have a large enough cup size he is now smitten with rural touring as his route to being a bona fide Rock God in the countryside. I've warned him I'm not going out looking for brown M&Ms in Tattenhall at three in the morning though."
"More seriously, the rural touring mentoring scheme feels like a great opportunity. Deckchair is a relatively new company so we are delighted to be receiving so much support and practical assistance to help us get our show on the road."
PANDA will keep you posted on the company’s progress over the year, including details of all of the shows this autumn. We’ll also let you know as soon as applications open for next year’s scheme, which should be around November 2008.
For more information about rural touring and the PANDA / CRTN Rural Touring Mentoring Scheme check out the Info On...Rural Touring factsheet.