The Offstage Cast

From Crystal Palace to Malawi.

This week Vic chats in-depth with a London- based young professional actor, Andrea Guerini, from Civitavecchia near Roma about all things theatrical as they find much in common and many things to laugh about together.  He also meets up with Imran Kingsley Shabban the Director and writer with Young Travellers Theatre of Malawi to explore how he and his company are managing to produce film and stage work during the pandemic, in a fascinating and richly entertaining conversation.

Please subscribe and for more information on the LITF, please visit www.litf.ca/offstagecast

 A Word with the Boss

The Offstage Cast team are hauled before the big Boss for a good talking to in our latest podcast. Yes, it is Jean Robinson-Dexter at her most forthright and revealing as we go backstage for the lowdown on running a festival from the boss’s big chair.
We also chat to John Gillis, director of The Little Theatre of Norfolk, Virginia on getting a company and a show ready to take to Canada for 2021.

Your Hosts are Deborah Raddall, Neil Maidman and Vic Mills

The Offstage Cast can be contacted at www.litf.ca/offstagecast or by emailing [email protected]

In this episode of the Offstage Cast,  the team (Deborah Raddall, Neil Maidman and Vic Mills) talks about how a programme is put together for an international festival and how companies work is scrutinized and selected for performance. Vic meets up to chat with the wonderful Polycarp Mugisha, a dancer, singer, writer, actor, and teacher from Kampala where he works at the renowned Tender Talents School for teaching performance.

More information on the LITF can be found on our website. www.litf.ca

Contact the show with your questions via email at  [email protected]

We hope that you enjoy the Pod...and don't forget to hit the subscribe button...and tell all your friends about the LITF Offstage Cast 

In this episode of the Offstage Cast, Deborah Raddall, Neil Maidman and Vic Mills discuss the upcoming, LITF Shortcuts Virtual Theatre Festival. 

LITF Short Cuts is a new virtual theatre festival, presented by the Liverpool International Theatre Festival, open to amateur theatre troupes around the world to submit 5-10-minute original plays, recorded on video. 

Plays will centre on the theme of FAMILY, to be interpreted as widely and creatively as possible.

Get your application form here

Virtual Festival Rules

1. Entry to the competition is FREE OF CHARGE.
2. Groups may enter as many plays as they wish.
3. Writers and performers must be aged 16 or over on November 30, 2020.
4. Plays must be of 5-10 minutes duration.
5. This is not a ‘film’ competition – so filming must be basic, with limited editing – the aim being to make a simple film record of a short piece of new theatre.
6. The work must be written and performed specifically for this competition.
7. The play may be performed in any suitable space, outdoors or indoors. and should be performed in strict accordance with social distancing laws applying in the country where it is produced.
8. All entries must be submitted to LITF by November 30th, 2020.
9. Entrants must submit a public YouTube or web link to their recorded play.
10. Play’s subject matter is to be based around the theme of ‘FAMILY’ – this should be interpreted freely and creatively.
11. There may be as many or as few performers as you choose. It may be a one-actor performance if desired.
12. The work may contain dialogue, movement, dance, music, as required.
13. Entries will be judged by LITF artistic directors Neil Maidman and Vic Mills in December 2020.
14. By entering, you grant LITF permission to show the plays or excerpts on social media, on their website, and at the 2021 Liverpool International Theatre Festival (see application form).
15. There will be a number of entries designated as worthy of commendation and these will form a longlist. These will be screened on the LITF YouTube channel and through other social media, during January and February 2021.  They will also be screened at LITF 2021, October 14-17, 2021.
16. At the beginning of March 2021, a shortlist will be announced – this will take place on a livestream on social media. All shortlisted entries will receive an LITF certificate.
17. The winners will be announced at LITF 2021. The best three entries will be recognized with cash prizes $500, $250 and $100 Canadian dollars.  
18. Dates of filming; play title, short summary, names of cast, writer, director, theatre company, and country should all be supplied together with the submission to LITF.
19. Entries will be judged objectively according to the following criteria:
20. Performance
21. Artistic merit of the script
22. Artistic endeavour and impact
23. All filming should be in landscape and in HD or above, if at all possible. The filming should be simple and done on one device with little editing.
24. Email the completed form to [email protected].

Welcome to episode 1 of the Offstage Cast from the Liverpool International Theatre, in Nova Scotia Canada.  

Your hosts are Deborah Raddall in Nova Scotia, and Artistic Directors Neil Maidman and Vic Mills who are in Wales, UK.  
Your Host's take you through in this episode what this international theatre festival is all about and exactly who they are with it all.  Future episodes will talk about festivals past and to come, along with the people who make it possible both in Canada and across the world.  Future guests will include actors and directors from Malawi, Belgium, Morocco, Egypt, Uganda, Italy, Georgia, USA, Canada, and more besides. 

The offstage cast is a podcast series about The Liverpool International Theatre Festival in Liverpool, Nova Scotia Canada.  Over the coming months, the podcast will bring you news and updates from the festival that sees theatre coming to Canada from all around the world.  Your host will be Deborah Raddall and she will be joined each episode by LITF Artistic Directors, Neil Maidman, and Vic Mills.  

Be sure to hit the subscribe button to hear our first full episode coming to you on October 20th, 2020.  

www.litf.ca/offstagecast