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weavingthetapestry · 4 years ago

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3rd May 1128: Kelso Abbey Consecrated

Although King David I was perhaps not as saintly as contemporary chroniclers would have us believe, he certainly founded a lot of monasteries. Setting aside his rather subjective view of what constituted barbarity, John of Hexham’s description of the king’s outward piety is quite revealing:

“There has been none like unto that prince in our days: devoted to divine services, failing not to attend each day at the canonical hours, and also at the vigils of the dead. And in this he was to be praised that in a spirit of foresight and courage he wisely tempered the fierceness of his barbarous nation; that he was frequent in washing the feet of the poor, and compassionate in feeding and clothing them; that he built and supplied sufficiently with lands and revenues the monasteries of Kelso, Melrose, Newbattle, Holmcultram*, Jedburgh, Holyrood- these being situated to this side of the sea of Scotland**, besides those which he benefited in Scotland***, and in other places.”

This list of abbeys patronised by David in Lothian and Cumbria alone reflects the king’s particular spiritual interests. Three of these abbeys (Melrose, Newbattle, and Holmcultram) were staffed by Cistercian monks, and two (Jedburgh and Holyrood) by Augustinian canons regular. These orders were especially favoured by David, and multiple Cistercian and Augustinian houses sprang up north of the Forth as well after he succeeded to the Scottish throne in 1124. But the king also patronised a range of other religious organisations, and his royal descendants and the Scottish nobility soon followed his lead. By the end of the thirteenth century, Scotland was home to an eclectic mix of Cluniac, Tironensian, Culdee, and Valliscaulian monasteries, as well as houses belonging to Premonstratensian canons, and the Knights Templar and Hospitaller, and various Dominican, Franciscan, Carmelite, and Trinitarian friaries. David’s first known foundation reflected this wide-ranging religious interest. In 1113, he settled Tironensian monks on his lands at Selkirk, now the site of a well-known Borders town. This small beginning would have important consequences for the spread of reformed monasticism in Scotland and the overall shape of the mediaeval Scottish Church...

(The abbey of Tiron, the French motherhouse of the Tironensian order. David I visited the abbey himself and the first monks at Selkirk came from there. Source - wikimedia commons where the user Calips has kindly made this image available for reuse under a creative commons license)

David’s project at Selkirk reflected the spiritual trends of the age. The early twelfth century witnessed the blossoming of another Benedictine reform movement, with various new monastic orders popping up all over western Europe (but especially in France). These attracted many people who sought to return to a purer and stricter form of conventual life and who felt that observance of the monastic “rule” of St Benedict had grown too lax, especially in the great abbeys of the day. Citeaux, the motherhouse of the influential Cistercian order which was founded in a marshy wood by Robert of Molesme in 1098, was only the most famously successful example. Another slightly less popular but nonetheless influential foundation was the abbey of Tiron, which is supposed to have been founded by the hermit Bernard of Abbeville in a “wooded place” near Chartres around the year 1109. Tiron was granted its official foundation charter in 1114, and by the 1120s the new order had over a hundred daughter houses, especially in France, Britain, and Ireland.

One of the earliest examples in Britain was the priory of St Dogmaels in Pembrokeshire, which was founded around 1113 and became an abbey a few years later. However apart from that house’s own two daughter houses (Pill Priory and Calder Priory) the Tironensians did not spread much further in Wales, at least not in comparison with the number of traditional Benedictine and Cistercian houses. In England the Tironensian order was represented by only a handful of priories, founded mostly in the first half of the twelfth century, and one abbey at Humberston in Lincolnshire, founded in 1160. Meanwhile Ireland’s sole Tironensian house- Glascarrig Priory in County Wexford – was again a daughter house of St Dogmaels. In Scotland, by contrast, the congregation of Tiron would become extremely influential, both within and outwith the cloister. The “grey monks”, as they came to be known, had arrived by at least 1113, which is when the Chronicle of Melrose claims that David founded a community at Selkirk. The abbey which these monks established, dedicated to St Mary and St John the Evangelist, received its formal foundation charter from David c.1119-20. This also came with a substantial endowment in lands and possessions and the charter was witnessed by many important members of the prince’s inner circle, including his wife Maud, their young son Henry, and David’s former chaplain John, now bishop of Glasgow.

(St Dogmael’s Abbey in Wales, another early Tironensian foundation in Britain. Source: Wikimedia Commons, where user Stephen McKay has kindly made this available for reuse under a creative commons license)

From the beginning, the monks of Selkirk were evidently at the centre of David’s spiritual and political plans. However it is less clear why he singled out the Tironensian order as the beneficiary of his patronage. His choice might have been influenced by his chaplain John, who remained close to David even after his elevation to the see of Glasgow, and who was himself a monk of Tiron (he later attempted to retire to the French motherhouse of the order during the 1130s). Like much of his career, David’s decision to found a Tironensian house may also have been influenced by his relationship with his sister Matilda and her husband Henry I of England. Although neither had a particular interest in the Tironensians, David’s political association with Henry in the years before he ascended the Scottish throne provided him with some of the tools to indulge his own interest in the order. It was with the English king’s support that David secured possession of substantial lands in the south of the kingdom of Scotland, despite his older brother Alexander I’s opposition. His relationship with Henry I also created ties between the future king of Scots and northern France. David not only held lands from the English king around Cherbourg in Normandy, but he was also in touch with affairs in other parts of France, and he is known to have visited the abbey of Tiron in person on at least one occasion before 1114. Although the source of his particular interest in the Tironensians must remain unclear, David plainly found the spiritual ideals and organisation of the fledgling order impressive enough that his earliest recorded action as “Prince of the Cumbrians” was to invite the monks of Tiron to settle on his new lands in southern Scotland.

The new community at Selkirk was apparently quite successful in its early years. Despite the distance between Lothian and the forests of Perche, the monks there retained close links with the motherhouse. The first two abbots of Selkirk succeeded in turn as heads of the order and abbots of Tiron. The monks rose high in the Scottish church too, as the third and fourth abbots of Selkirk succeeded as bishop of Glasgow and bishop of St Andrews respectively. By this time however, it had become clear that the original home of the monks beside the Ettrick water was unsuitable. Within fifteen years of the original foundation, plans were afoot to move the whole community around twenty miles downstream to Kelso, where the River Teviot joins the Tweed.

The new site may have been selected because of its proximity to the royal castle and burgh of Roxburgh, which David had been developing as a political, economic, and administrative centre. After he succeeded his older brother Alexander as King of Scots in 1124, Roxburgh also became one of the most important royal residences in the realm, and it made sense to have the new king’s favoured monastery near at hand. Accordingly, the decision was taken to transfer the abbey to Kelso, although this was to be a gradual process, with the building work and relocation of the monks taking at least two years. Eventually, when the move was largely complete, the abbey church of St Mary and St John the Evangelist was officially consecrated on 3rd May 1128, an event which was probably attended by the king and his leading nobles.

(A twelfth century portrayal of David I and his grandson Malcolm IV in the historiated initial of a charter granted to the abbey of Kelso. Source- wikimedia commons)

Kelso abbey was to become one of the richest abbeys in the kingdom and by the end of the century it had acquired several daughter houses, including the abbeys of Arbroath, Kilwinning, and Lindores. The grey monks could be very influential figures: it has already been noted that Herbert, the abbot who oversaw the move from Selkirk to Kelso was destined to succeed to the see of Glasgow, while his successor Arnold rose to the position of bishop of St Andrews. Another (though much later) influential Tironensian was Bernard, who was first abbot of Kilwinning, then abbot of Arbroath, and then bishop of the Isles and chancellor to King Robert I. And even after David I turned to other reformed orders like the Cistercians to further his spiritual policies, Kelso abbey retained its close links with the royal family. David’s only son and heir, Prince Henry, was buried at the abbey after his untimely death in 1152. One of the abbey’s charters, granted by Henry’s son Malcolm IV a few years later, preserves the only surviving contemporary picture of Malcolm and his grandfather David, who are portrayed in a style reminiscent of the biblical Solomon and David in the historiated capital ‘M’.

Like many other Border abbeys Kelso suffered heavily during the bitter Anglo-Scottish warfare which broke out after 1296. Nonetheless it remained an important and wealthy establishment, the abbacy of which sixteenth century kings and nobles often sought to secure as a commend for their younger or illegitimate kinsmen. In 1460, Kelso even witnessed a coronation when the eight-year-old James III was crowned king of Scots in the presence of his mother and the leading nobles of the realm, following the death of his father during the siege of nearby Roxburgh Castle. The abbey outlasted this castle by at least a century, but not much more. Having already suffered considerably from English attacks during the “Rough Wooing” of the 1540s, Kelso abbey was officially dissolved after the Protestant Reformation in 1560. Much of the abbey was gradually dismantled over the next three centuries. Though the burgh which grew up around the monastery is still thriving today, the building itself is much reduced, with only the central part of the abbey church remaining above ground. The fine Romanesque architecture of these ruins suggests that they formed part of the original church consecrated in 1128. Almost nine hundred years old, the ruined church stands today as a memorial to the former grandeur, wealth, and influence of the Tironensian order in Scotland.

(A seventeenth century depiction of the ruined abbey of Kelso, made by John Slezer. Reproduced under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence, with the permission of the National Libraries of Scotland)

Notes:

* It is actually unclear whether David founded Holmcultram or was simply a patron of the monastery. Of the monasteries on John of Hexham’s list, this is also the only one which does not lie within the borders of 21st century Scotland.

** The “Scottish sea” usually meant the Firth of Forth in the Middle Ages.

*** When John of Hexham says that David also patronised monasteries “in Scotland” he probably means Scotia ‘proper’, i.e. the land north of the Forth, as opposed to Lothian, which is where Kelso, Melrose, Newbattle, Jedburgh, and Holyrood lay in the twelfth century.

Selected Bibliography:

- “Chronicle of Melrose”, as translated in “The Church Historians of England”, vol.4, edited by Joseph Stevenson

- “Early Sources of Scottish History”, edited by A.O. Anderson

- “Scottish Annals from English Chroniclers”, edited by A.O. Anderson

- “Liber S. Marie de Calchou: Registrum Cartarum Abbacie Tironensis de Kelso, 1113-1567″, edited by Cosmo Innes

- “The Charters of King David I”, edited by G.W.S. Barrow

- “The Monks of Tiron”, K. Thompson

- “Kingship and Unity, Scotland 1000-1306″, by G.W.S. Barrow

- “David I”, by Richard Oram

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architectnews · 4 years ago

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Page\Park Architects, Glasgow Architecture Office

Page Park Architects Glasgow, Studio, Photos, Design Office Scotland, Project Images

Page\Park Architects

Major Scottish Architecture Practice – Glasgow Design Office, Scotland, UK

Page\Park Architects News

28 + 25 Aug 2020 Page / Park faces legal action over Glasgow Mac fire

Glasgow architects PagePark is facing legal action relating to its work on the restoration of the Mackintosh School of Architecture. A second fire occurred at this world-famous building in June 2018.

A syndicate of insurers, acting in the name of the Glasgow School of Art, have lodged claims at the Court of Session against Park\Page and Arrest Fire & Security, the firm responsible for installing new security and fire systems after the 2014 fire.

The Mac said the process was being undertaken to recover documents from the two companies.

The fire service has been investigating the cause and spread of the fire at the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building since the evening of the fire. It does not know when its investigation will conclude.

On-site investigations and excavations have now recommenced after having been temporarily suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New restoration work can not recommence until the fire service has finished its inspection, remaining rubble has been removed, and internal bracing has been fitted.

25 Jan 2020 New Gorbals Housing Association, Crown Street Development, Glasgow, Scotland photo : Keith Hunter New Gorbals Housing Association Building The new home of the New Gorbals Housing Association is a bespoke office and civic piazza forming the centrepiece of the Crown Street redevelopment in Glasgow.

19 Mar 2018 Hawkhead Centre, Paisley, South West Scotland photo : Keith Hunter Hawkhead Centre in Paisley This new activity and support centre is for the charity Scottish War Blinded, who provide free support to ex-service men and women who have lost their sight during or after military service. Scottish War Blinded is a sister charity to Royal Blind, Scotland’s largest visual impairment organisation.

11 Dec 2017 Scottish War Blinded Hawkhead Building

This building is primarily for veterans who have visual impairments.

The design is by architects Page and Park.

The £17 million project has created 150 new jobs, and 100 military veterans have already signed up to use the facility, along with residents of the nearby Royal Blind facility, Jenny’s Well.

Scottish War Blinded Hawkhead Building

27 Jun 2017 University of Edinburgh Student Centre, Scotland

images courtesy of architects

Edinburgh University has unveiled plans designed by Glasgow’s Page\Park Architects for a radical extension to Teviot Row House, billed as the world’s oldest purpose-built student union, under a £75m modernization plan.

Occupying a gap site between George and Bristo Square the Student Centre would provide a one-stop shop for university services and student wellbeing; including cafes, foodhalls and a nightclub.

Indicative plans were placed on display on 27th June, illustrating how a rear access lane could be reborn as a public square.

Scottish Architecture News

3 Nov 2016 Page \ Park win RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture 2016

The Saunders Centre, Glasgow by Page\Park Architects has been awarded the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award for 2016.

From a shortlist of eleven projects, all winners of RIAS Awards for 2016 (presented in June 2016), the judges selected the Saunders Centre as a clear winner.

1 Nov 2016 The Saunders Centre – Glasgow Academy Science and Technology Building, Scotland photo : Andrew Lee Saunders Centre Building in Glasgow The requirement to meet current needs and expectations to keep abreast of the most advanced teaching in the sciences has resulted in a significant and substantial new urban block for the Academy.

The Westwater Building Dollar Academy, Scotland photo : Andrew Lee The Westwater Building Dollar Academy This modest pavilion teaching building, nestles into the site at the foot of the Ochil Hills alongside the impressive principle school building, designed by William Henry Playfair. It forms a component of Dollar Academy’s new ‘Teaching L’ which edges the all weather hockey pitch, conceived as an open ‘quad’ at the heart of the campus.

5 Jul 2016

Page \ Park Architects Management Team Restructuring

Architecture firm Page\Park has reached another milestone towards its evolution into an employee-owned practice with a restructure of its management team.

The Glasgow-based business transferred to an employee ownership model three years ago and has been implementing the next part of its transition by appointing Karen Pickering to the role of chair of the board and Andrew Bateman as managing director.

Karen Pickering has been with the office for 25 years and is well respected in the profession for her enthusiasm and support for exciting architecture across a wide range of fields.

Andrew Bateman has been with Page\Park for 16 years and has become well known for his ability to guide and realise complex and creative projects. For the past two years Andrew has taken the role of finance director on the board and the extension of this role into that of managing director will provide a steady hand overseeing the operational and financial management of the practice as it seeks to evolve and respond to new challenges.

This Glasgow architecture practice was established in 1981 by David Page and Brian Park who will remain on the board as part of a collaborative management model.

Outgoing chair Brian Park said: “The time has come for the next chapter in the Page\Park journey. Karen Pickering has been with the company for 25 years and is well respected in the profession for her enthusiasm and support for exciting architecture across a wide range of fields. That energy and drive to ensure the best possible architectural outcomes will continue in her new leadership role as chair of the practice.”

31 Mar 2015 Mackintosh Building Restoration Architects Announced

Page \ Park Architects to Restore the Mackintosh Building

The Glasgow School of Art announced the appointment of a design team led by Page \ Park Architects for the restoration of the Mackintosh Building in Glasgow.

The appointment was made following presentations by a shortlist of five architecture practices earlier this month.

Page Park News

Glasgow Architects Have Designs on More Growth after Becoming Employee-Owned

Business transforms from traditional architectural partnership into 40-strong practice owned by its employees

11 Dec 2013 – A Glasgow architectural practice whose turnover has risen 30 per cent over the past two years has designs on more growth after becoming employee-owned.

Page\Park Architects – which employs 40 and now turns over £3.5m – has become employee-owned, 32 years after it was established by founders David Page and Brian Park in 1981.

David Page:

The firm – which has worked on iconic projects such as the Lighthouse, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Rosslyn Chapel and Collegelands in Glasgow – intends to develop its award-winning business, particularly across the UK and Europe.

Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS), Scottish Enterprise’s employee ownership support arm, provided initial support and guidance on ownership, governance and employee engagement.

Founders David Page and Brian Park remain with the business. Head of architecture David Page commented: “Over the last year we have transformed from a traditional architectural partnership into a 40-strong employee-owned company. The journey, which began five years ago, has been an exciting one and we are looking forward to delivering more exceptional work for our clients in years to come.

“Now, when you speak to anyone in Page\Park, you are speaking to someone with a share in the future of the practice, a belief in its values and a commitment to them: a shared optimism. We are following in the footsteps of the likes of Arup and John Lewis, who have quietly trail-blazed employee ownership over many years.

“We have always been a very collaborative organisation so employee ownership – as well as helping us plan for the long-term, including succession – is just a logical extension of our business model.”

Sarah Deas, chief executive of CDS, said: “Creating a business environment where everyone shares not just financial investment but emotional involvement might seem implausibly ambitious. But with employee ownership, all parties have a genuine say in how a business is operated, giving everyone a meaningful stake in their organisation.

“Page\Park’s ethos has always been very collaborative. It has been a pleasure to help them embed that spirit of co-operation in their ownership structure and help root this exciting business firmly in Scotland.”

In addition to support from CDS, Page\Park was advised by Shirlaws on building an effective business model while Baxendale advised on the design of the new trust ownership model, setting up its governance systems and further development of its employee engagement practices.

In Scotland, employee-owned businesses employ more than 8000 people and account for a combined annual turnover of just under £1bn. The number of employee-owned businesses headquartered in Scotland has doubled since 2009.

Examples of other employee-owned businesses in Scotland include paper and board manufacturers Tullis Russell, engineering consultants Arup, manufacturing firm Clansman Dynamics and animal feed manufacturer and agricultural merchant Galloway & MacLeod.

About CDS Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) is the arm of Scottish Enterprise working in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise that supports company growth through collaborative and employee ownership business models.

An employee-owned business is one in which the employees hold the majority of the shares either directly or through an employee benefit trust. Selling to employees allows owners to manage their exit and achieve fair value whilst safeguarding the long term future of the company. Employee ownership gives employees a meaningful stake in their organisation together with a genuine say in how it is run. It roots business in Scotland, drives performance and delivers economic wellbeing.

For further information on CDS see www.cdscotland.co.uk or call on 0141 951 3055. Follow CDS on Twitter @cdscotland or look at the blog www.cdsblog.co.uk

About Page\Park Page\Park Architects has been responsible for many important restorations and new building settings, from early works such as Cathedral Square and the Italian Centre, through to the Lighthouse in Glasgow, National Museum of Rural Life in East Kilbride, Scottish National Portrait Gallery Edinburgh, Rosslyn Chapel as well as major housing works in New Gorbals and Laurieston Glasgow.

Its current work includes major university projects for Edinburgh, Glasgow, Caledonian, West of Scotland, Stirling and Heriot-Watt Universities as well as the new extension to Scottish Opera’s Theatre Royal, Kelvinhall refurbishment and Scottish Power’s headquarters in Glasgow.

11 Aug 2012 Theatre Royal Glasgow image : Brian Allen Page Park – latest design Work to create much-needed new public spaces for Glasgow’s Theatre Royal is to begin in an ambitious project which aims to create a world-class venue and transform the experience for audiences at one of the most beautiful and historic theatres in Scotland.

May 2012 Scottish War Blinded Building, Linburn, West Lothian image from architect Scottish War Blinded Building RICS Awards 2012 : Overall Project of the Year award winner

1 Mar 2012 Olympia Theatre, Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow, Scotland 2010- photograph : Warren Media Olympia Theatre This redevelopment project reached a milestone point with the reconstructed cupola lifted into place.

Page Park – Latest Building Added

Church of St Paul the Apostle – Extension, Glasgow, Scotland 2011 photograph © Andrew Lee The category B-listed Church of St Paul the Apostle stands on the busy Shettleston Road two miles east of Glasgow City Centre. Jack Coia, of Glasgow architects Gillespie Kidd and Coia, designed the church in an Italian Baroque style, and it was built from 1957 to 1959. The Cube – design by Page Park Architects. 22 Nov 2011

Page Park Architects : Glasgow Architects studio – contact details

Page Park architects – Building News 2010

The Foundry, Leamington Spa, England 2010- image : Page / Park Architects The Foundry Leamington Spa

McManus Galleries, Dundee, Scotland 2010 photo from Page Park Architects McManus Galleries – Best Building in Scotland – shortlisted, 2 Nov 2010 + a Civic Trust Award Winner 7 Mar 2011

Page Park – Key Projects

Page Park architects – Building News 2009

Fraser Building, Glasgow, Scotland 2009 photo : Andrew Lee Fraser Building

Bluebell Views Student Residences, University of Warwick, England 2009- image from architects University of Warwick Student Residences

Fettes Prep School, Edinburgh, Scotland 2009 photo : Renzo Mazzolini Fettes Prep School

Buildings by Page Park architects up to 2008

Page Park Architects : older projects

Key Buildings by Page Park architects

Museum of Scottish Country Life photo from Page & Park Architects

Maggies Inverness image © Keith Hunter

The Lighthouse image : David Churchill

Graham Square building – Molendinar Park Housing photo : Keith Hunter

More projects by Page Park Architects online soon

Location: Glasgow G1 5PE, Scotland

Architecture Practice Information

Glasgow Architects studio, western Scotland

Page Park Architects : Glasgow Architecture office – contact details

Scottish Architecture

Scottish Architects

Architecture Studios

Website: Architecture

Buildings / photos for the Page Park Architects Glasgow page welcome

Website: pagepark.co.uk

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vileart · 7 years ago

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The Dramaturgy Cat: LaPelle’s Factory @ Edfringe 2017

LaPelle's Factory in association with LittleMighty and In Good Company present:

The Black Cat

WORLD PREMIERE

Twisted and dark Poe classic pulled to pieces in this provocative and playful adaptation

Written by Mufaro Makubika

Based on the short story by Edgar Allen Poe

Underbelly, Cowgate, 3 – 20 Aug 2017 (not 13) 19.20 (20.20)

Nottingham-based company LaPelle’s Factory present a modern, deconstructed and misbehaving retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August.

Balanced between the hilarious and the horrific, two performers dismember the process of adapting a classic with violent glee, just as the narrator of this Poe short story turns violently on his beloved pet cat.

What was the inspiration for this performance?

We were initially inspired by the desire to collaborate with a writer for the first time and see whether our hands-on, collaborative, devised approach to making performance could merge with that of a more 'traditional' playwright.

We became interested in adaptation as a vehicle for this because it's a form that (often) begins on the page and then goes through a process of 'daisy-chaining' ideas and forms – so in our case we began with Edgar Allan

Poe's short story written in the first-person, to Mufaro Makubika's modernised two-hander play that updates the themes and makes changes to the plot, to us (Olwen and Ollie of LaPelle's Factory) where we pull both texts apart and comment on them whilst simultaneously 'acting' them.

We also allow aspects of our real personalities to seep into the characters to the division between performer and character becomes much more difficult to distinguish.

Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas?

Regardless of how much technology advances, there is no substitute for being in the same room as a performer or group of performers. Watching artists perform live, making eye contact, joining in on occasion, cannot be replicated; the immediacy of human connection is still very necessary for discussion and discourse. It's the same with watching a band: there's a reason we pay to see them play familiar music in our presence rather than just putting the album on at home again.

How did you become interested in making performance?

We both did fairly experimental degrees

(Olwen at De Montfort University in Leicester; Ollie at Bretton Hall, then part of the University of Leeds) which exposed us to a whole body of theatre and performance beyond traditional plays. Separately we became excited about the liveness of the event and the connection possible with an audience that contemporary practice champions.

We became less focussed on work which pretends the audience is not there. And now we make work which we hope is different and progressive without needing an arts degree to be understood. We try very hard to make sure our ideas are presented clearly enough that the work can be accessed by anyone, not just those familiar with the form.

Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?

We make devised theatre, so we did lots of background research and had a lot of discussion in advance of developing the piece. We watched other adaptations of the same text (mainly on film) – and having Mufaro's blessing to do what we wanted with his text was very important.

Does the show fit with your usual productions?

This piece started on the page which is unusual for us. Normally a script or performance score will develop through improvisation and subsequent editing within rehearsal so there is no one 'author'.

We wanted to challenge ourselves to working with a different (arguably more traditional) restriction and see if we could devise ways to break the rules.

What do you hope that the audience will experience?

A fun, funny and slightly dangerous piece that examines the slipperiness of words and what it means to recycle ideas, turning the familiar into something new.

What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience? We knew some audience members would be familiar with Poe and some wouldn't, so we had to devise a strategy that meant this didn't matter. Both groups will have a different experience but neither is better. It's the same as watching a film: you'll have a different understanding if you read the book first, but it isn't incomprehensible if you didn't.

We also wanted to find a strategy to bring the story alive without going too far down the 'actorly' route. This has involved using element of ourselves: our personalities and histories. This, we hope, adds to the 'realness' of what we present; and hopefully the sense of threat and danger too.

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We also aren't afraid of being silly. Often contemporary theatre gets a reputation of being overly serious and intellectual. We've found ways of countering these presumptions with the dark humour we've woven into the performance.

Poe’s story is closely related to his famous A Tell-tale Heart, concerning the growing insanity of a guilty mind, and touching on alcoholism, mental health and emotional violence. Led by performer-devisers Olwen Davies and Ollie Smith, LaPelle’s Factory’s disrupted retelling revels in the darkness that hides just under the surface of the tale.

With metatheatrical play, The Black Cat is a surprisingly humorous tale which was developed with scratch performances at Derby Theatre, SPRINT (Camden People's Theatre), and First Bite (China Plate/MAC Birmingham).

Olwen said, “We can’t wait for our company to make its first visit to the Fringe. The Black Cat is also our first adaptation, but being us we don’t play it very straight. It’s dark, weird and wonderful, and has a very cheeky glint in its eye. It’s perfect for the murderous backstreets of Edinburgh."

LaPelle's Factory is the creative partnership of Olwen Davies and Ollie Smith. They make playful and provocative contemporary performance that questions expectations, relationships and modern ideals. The company is an Associate Artist with Attenborough Arts Centre (Leicester) and In Good Company, based at Derby Theatre. Their first show, CLOUDCUCKOOLANDERS (2015), explored mad couples, personality cults and the changing face of cinema. This was followed Desperado (2016/17), which riffed on rock gigs, dance marathons, school sports days and rodeos to push its performers to physical and existential limits.

Olwen Davies premiered her first solo performance, Fridge Logic, in 2011, at the Circuit Festival and the Hatch:Fresh festival. Olwen has also collaborated with Zoo Indigo in the devising of their performance Blueprint, a cross-generational celebration of motherhood. Ollie Smith is a regular devisor and performer with Michael Pinchbeck. Their work together includes Bolero, which toured internationally; and The Trilogy, a body of works exploring contemporary tales on Shakespearian stage. His solo show 27 was an obsessive and drawn-out suicide note from the world's least rock n roll star.

Mufaro Makubika is playwright living in St Ann’s, Nottingham. He is a graduate of the Royal Court Young Writers’ programme, including the super group, and a BBC Writersroom 10 winner. Credits include How to Breathe (Nottingham Playhouse) and Hood-The Legend Continues (Theatre Royal Nottingham/New Perspective Theatre). Mufaro is currently under commission to Nottingham Playhouse.

LittleMighty is an independent producer based in Leeds that works nationally with remarkable artists to make brilliant theatre happen. Their other shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year include Eamonn Fleming’s Confabulation! (Pleasance Courtyard) and Silent Uproar’s A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad). Previous successes include Unfolding Theatre’s Lands of Glass and Putting the Band Back Together (Journal Culture Awards: Best Performance); and Testament’s Blake Remixed (co-production with West Yorkshire Playhouse).

In Good Company develop artists, provide opportunities and support exciting new performance in the East Midlands. In Good Company was born out a consultation with our community of artists in 2014 and is now a multi-venue partnership made up of: Derby Theatre, Attenborough Arts Centre, Burton Brewhouse, Lincolnshire One Venues and Mansfield Old Library. All five partners are dedicated to sharing their resources and providing opportunities for local artists to develop their work, including mentoring, scratch nights, workshops, performance platforms and networking. The programme is supported by Arts Council England.

@LapellesFactory | /LaPellesFactory | lapellesfactory.com

Running Time: 60 minutes | Suitable for ages 12+