#everything space themed

[kroosluvr]

Life's beauty is like a myriad of flowers, and I want to pluck the one that never wilts.

[domwitch]

Rate my setup where everything is normal but there's a boy sitting on his knees under the desk with his mouth open and tongue out

[whirlwindofcomplications]

TELL ME I'M YOUR NATIONAL ANTHEM.

I. excerpts from a book I'll never write #56, @blossomfully

II. desperation sits heavy on my tongue, @tullipsink

III. brute: poems - emily skaja

IV. "everything all of it," in 'then the war' - carl phillips

V. susan jeffers

VI. radical feminist therapy: working in the context of violence - bonnie burstow

for @gayferrari - everything always comes back to michael

[tyttetardis]

Macbeth Donmar Supporter's Zoom Conversation

On the 9th of May 2023 Donmar Warehouse held a Zoom "meeting" for supporters where Michael Longhurst talked about their two newly announced productions - Clyde's and Macbeth. This was a week before tickets went on general sale and before they announced that Cush Jumbo would be playing Lady Macbeth.

At the time it was all, of course, quite exciting since everything they revealed during the talk was brand new info! Most of which wouldn't be known at large until the play was being perfomed (or later). I think only about 80 people participated, most of which I think either worked for the Donmar or were members at much higher levels.

Today it's no longer new information as such, but I thought it might still be interesting to make a post about what was said during this talk :)

Michael first spoke about Clyde's (which I didn't actually listen much too) and then introduced Macbeth as their Christmas show (using the word Christmas "incredibly tenuously") saying the cast was yet to be revealed, but called it a beautiful ensamble piece, and that they were in the process of casting with the cast to be revealed "shortly".

He then went on to say that the casting that was revealed the week before made a bit of a spark - David Tennant coming to the Donmar to play Macbeth :) He mentioned it being directed by Max Webster since Michael was so impressed with how he did Henry V the year before. He said they had a joyful process of going to their favourite actors trying to match slots and titles to the actors that they love - and that they were thrilled that Mr. Tennant was stepping up to the Scottish play - "we felt it was time!"

"He [David] has obviousley given amazing Shakespearean performances - Hamlet, Richard II at the RSC - I, yeah, I think his verse speaking is frankly unparalleled, it's a thing of beauty. He's quicksilver, but he can push himself into the most extraordinary characterisations."

He went on to say that David and Max were deep into discussions about what this production should be. He said there's always Macbeths, but he thought what they would do so spectacularly would be to allow it to be a deeply psychological take on the play (facilitated/inspired by the Donmar's space).

He said they had a very exciting Lady Macbeth who would be announced in a week. He said she was a Donmar alumni who had a great Shakespearean set of works under her belt. He was thrilled to reunite her with David, saying that they had just done a TV series together. "So you can go do some subtle googling, but please don't share it" :P "It's amazing, they are gonna be a fierce combination!"

Someone then asked about whether the show would be streamed to which Michael said they were having conversations about it since there was a LOT of interest and they knew demand for this show with David would be incredibly high. So they would be doing everything they could to get the show streamed, it was their absolute ambition. Not least since it would be amazing to be able to share it with students. So they were in those conversations "as we speak". He later talks about it again - saying that streaming is a way of mass sharing, even if it can't recreate the experience of closeness at the Donmar. That they would try to secure screenings of it since they were aware it would be very popular "It's almost a curse of having such an intimate theatre - that when you program a star like that, it becomes huge".

Choosing to stage Macbeth was down to Michael and Max having a conversation about a short list of Shakespeare plays Max was keen to have a go at and them talking about various leading actors (later he expands on this as Max having had conversations with potential leading actors on which titles they were inspired with/ to perform - sorta like an Actors dating spree, 6 months ago) to decide which one would be the best one for this moment - "David's availibity created this window between two massive screen projects and it felt like the one to grab". Macbeth hadn't been staged at the "Donmar" since 1976 - with the legendary Dench and McKellen version. Michael said he thinks that the Donmar stage is the perfect space for Macbeth since "it allows the director and the lead actor to utterly hold a room of people in a way that'd be thrilling and terrifying, that you can't necessarily do in other spaces". He then said that he didn't think Max was interested in the witches and the supernatural as real entities but rather looking at psychological, trauma related reasons to explore those devices within the play. He also said Max was very passionate about making it very Scottish and that he had already been meeting with Scottish folk musicians to create his ensemble team. Also that he was very interested in Lady M being from outside the Scottish hiearchy - that she's be unafraid to challenge that Scottish status quo.

For Michael it's about "the synergy of an actor who should be playing that character - and that is Mr. David Tennant because he is one of our greatest verse speakers, let alone the greatest Scottish verse speaker".

He said that the production would definitely be a contemporary set. A modern dress Macbeth.

He then said that the reason he wanted to back Max as a director is that he thinks he offers a brand of total theatre that is really exceptional. There was a question about the music used in Henry V, and Michael said he just knew about the Scottish folk music and that music would be a part of the show, and that music is always a big part of Max's shows.

Someone then asked if they consult with scools on what plays they are studying in order to choose what they put on. Michael says they were obviously very aware of Macbeth being part of the curriculum and that being one of the reasons they thought this was "the text. And obviousley with David and his DW background, he brings a huge appeal and accesibility for young people who might find Shakespeare challenging - and you know, being brought into that story by someone they know and love so well is...you know we saw the effect happen on Henry V, 40% of people coming to the Donmar were coming for the first time when we had Henry V on - and it's thrilling to expand that connection, and we know David will do the same".

[d8tl55c]

me: waiting for shoe(s) to drop

Personified Alan Becker YouTube Icon: oh... buddy...

[americankimchi]

wish i knew what to do with this helpless frustration i feel every time i see people vilify the jedi for their way of life when the person doing the vilification doesn't even understand them properly. it's one thing to criticize and dislike them if you have an accurate picture of who they were and what they're trying to do vs. hating them because you straight up don't understand them at all 😭

[hellonoblesky]

Tearing my hair out because Starflash was set up as a Chekhov's Gun and now it might never go off because Filoni can't be bothered to read a few books

[kacievvbbbb]

Truly from the depths of my struggling heart. Viva La Vida by Coldplay belongs to one Toshinori Yagi aka the one and only All Might.

Coldplay should just sign over the rights of the song at this point promptly too.

[puppyeared]

When you backread through a fun conversation you had with someone for hours an angel gets its wings

[thehollyraven]

heyyyy guys you should vote Starry Dee in the @kirbyoctournament tomorrow !!!! here’s why:

1. they’re really cool (like!!! waddle dee that wanted to become a star and so DID become one??? i love that idea genuinely)

2. fitaphim the marketable beast of all time thinks you should !!! you wouldn’t deny such a little guy huh……

3. i think space is really cool and also i love @staring-at-a-blank-pagee’s constellation/kirby space lore so far !!!! its so!!!!! its so!!!!!! (i just woke up so properly describing how cool it is is really hard but)

unshaded version under the cut !!

[pop-roxs]

i CANT be the only person who sees how obviously gay makoto and yuzu are......

[cloverwood]

Hello! I’m an Elf-Kin, and it makes me so happy to see other forest-animal kins!!

I was wondering if you could create a silver fox pfp for me? With a photo that feels super mysterious if possible lol, maybe with a few pentagrams too? If you can’t/don’t want too that’s totally ok, I just love and adore your work!!

hi hello! thank u! this one was really fun, i wasnt 100% sure what u meant by pentagram since theres a lot of name confusion between pentacle, pentagram and inverted pentagrams. But you have satanist in ur blog title so i assumed inverted ^_^ im an ex-satanist myself so thankfully quite proficient in drawing them lol. lmk if u meant a different one~

-photo from wikimedia commons - edit is free to use-

[morgana-ren]

You ever see a piece of media that is very blatantly meant for adult consumption but for some reason, the fan base around it is ultimately comprised of packs of rabid 12 year olds who shouldn't be indulging in the media in the first place and utterly lack critical thinking or comprehension and couldn't understand nuance or perspective if you gave them baby's first homework assignment on it?

[seokmattchuus]

The way wakeone gave kep1er the best disbandment song just for it to be a comeback, the next disbandment song better top this

[mrsthunderkin]

This was a fun little challenge to put to paper a bit of Bart's inventory items.

He's a bit of a hoarder

[knifegremliin]

hell world. there's a house for sale in the neighborhood i grew up in and we went to the open house tonight and it is PERFECT AND LOVELY but WE CAN'T AFFORD IT.