Celebrating edfringe… this shot is from STORY OF A RABBIT… I made this show with Rich Couldrey, steffimdj and Alex Byrne of nie_theatre in 2007… it was inspired by the experience of losing my Dad… it was about life in the face of death… we presented it thepleasance … the show stayed on stage until 2012 … what a big pleasure
Photo by geraintlewispics

#SDJ30 sharing 30 Years of Making New Work …

Good luck to all up in Edinburgh this summer xxx

Tomorrow night I’m doing a work in progress performance of a new show STORIES FROM AN INVISIBLE TOWN thewardrobetheatre in Bristol… come along if you can

This image was taken by my Dad. I used it to promote FLOATING in 2005

#SDJ30 sharing 30 years of making new work

Okeeeedokeeee…completely unsure where this comes from… other than a box I opened recently…
It’s a photo shoot with richardheeps and steffimdj from 1994 … that’s right … celebrating 30 years of making new work #SDJ30

Not sure which way to go? I mean… hold onto everything you love and keep looking? richardheeps took this photo of me and steffimdj a long time ago in The Fens … it feels like a photo I’d happily use to describe where we are today … perhaps feeling lost is how we end up feeling safe …

#SDJ30 sharing the last 30 years of making new work

STORIES FROM…on stage thewardrobetheatre and tobaccofactorytheatres last week June…24.25.29. June

Big love xxx

I’m celebrating! Here’s a photo from many moons ago. So many beautiful moons. When I was a student uniofeastanglia along with sophie_j_v andydevo katemaravan morethanhuman jamesfrain2 and many others I met clivemendus … he came to run a series of workshops and devise a show with us… that time feels like a beginning to the journey into theatre… the one I’m celebrating…

clivemendus ran the most inspiring theatre-making course ever…when I look back at the weeks we spent playing together, making theatre and putting a show on in a warehouse next to a river I’m overwhelmed by the beauty of this memory and the luck I had to be part of it all … aha! … that sounds super earnest … but you know what … blimey … it was just bloody brilliant

This year I’m celebrating thirty years of making new work - I’m sharing bits ‘n’ bobs here as part of that

#SDJ30

If you’re still reading … I’m doing some work in progress performances of a new idea called STORIES FROM AN INVISIBLE TOWN thewardrobetheatre and tobaccofactorytheatres at the end of June and I’ll be presenting CRACKING latitudefest in July…

That’s all for now … good luck out there xxx

Steffi steffimdj and I worked together all week this week developing a new show STORIES FROM AN INVISIBLE TOWN … the wonderful richardheeps sent us this photo from a photoshoot for a show we made back in the 1990s…
That’s right … sharing stuff from 30 years of making new work …

Last night I tried out some material with an audience tobaccofactorytheatres … reminding me how the biggest collaboration of all is with them. Thanks to last night’s audience

Tonight I will watch thistimcrouch as part of mayfestbristol … can’t wait. I’m always inspired by him

#SDJ30

What can I say?
When she was young, there were times when we could take josiedalejones with us on tour … you know … if we were going somewhere exciting … like New York … and… of course… it always turned out to be … well… fun …

Life on the road is a big part of touring live theatre … finding ways of making this part of the job full of pleasure and life feels like a big part of the puzzle, right? Taking family and friends on tour is a real treat…as is meeting friends in the road… then it’s the best part of the job …

Good luck everyone out there living on the road xxx

Celebrating 30 years of making new work … touring to over 200 UK venues and to 20 countries over 6 continents translated into 7 languages…

#SDJ30

You know what … it might be time for this again? We had the HOLDING HANDS project going in 2016 while we were edfringe … we encouraged strangers to hold hands as a simple act of recognition that we are all connected… we loved it … if you want to see more go to sdjproductions.co.uk … it’s under the Back Catalogue section…

The ‘we’ in this included the fabulous and forever funny Jill Norman, the fantastic steffimdj , the wonderful scbedford and the magnificent Rich Couldrey …

Happy to be sharing stuff from the last 30 years of making new work

#SDJ30

For the love of collaboration! Back in 2019 I worked with jul_87 and steffimdj on a show called THE LADDER … we did a few try-out shows adelaidefestival in front of generous audiences … c’mon … it’s gotta be the best way to make live work ?!?? Take it on stage half-baked … watch it rise 🤔

Working with jul_87 was a real treat… in fact…it was so much fun we’re still messing about with ideas that we hope might someday see the light of … and since starting collaborating with steffimdj I haven’t ever stopped

Next week - Saturday 18 May tobaccofactorytheatres I’m trying out some material for a new show called STORIES FROM AN INVISIBLE TOWN … come along if you fancy watching someone stumbling around hopefully looking for a moment of theatre to arrive …

Good luck out there with that theatre-making lark xxx

#SDJ30

We all know we are living in madness. The levels of inequality are horrendous. It drives me potty. Insane. In 2017 I wrote a play about my relationship with privilege and the opportunity I was provided with from a young age. It was called ME & ROBIN HOOD. I learnt a lot doing that show, supported by Hamish Pirie and royalcourttheatre. One thing I learnt was that many people are so caught up in their own lives that they don’t have the time or headspace to ‘deal with’ anybody else’s. Individual lives have become so stressed that few people have the capability of including people they don’t know. Strangers become more strange.

I don’t know where I’m going with this other than - this inequality is growing and manifesting all over the place…the further we’re divided the more strange we become to each other … our inability to recognise fellow human beings is beyond frightening

How shall we reconnect ?

When I sign off Big love xxx I am aware that wish fulfilment powers me and that hope lives on

Big love xxx

#SDJ30

In 2008 I directed an adaptation of THE DOUBTFUL GUEST by Edward Gorey. the_moog was in the show and steffimdj designed it…Trond-Erik Vassdal,Ben Frimston and Jill Norman were also performers in the show … guardian loved it, saying we “have fun examining the nature of make-believe and the power of the imagination while revealing the trick of theatre itself”

If you’ve not come across Edward Gorey you’re in for a treat. He’s a fantastic illustrator/writer.
Looking back on this show makes me realise how much I enjoy directing - working with brilliant inventive actors creating imaginative worlds … in todays financial climate that room feels a million miles away …
My choice to make solo work as a writer/performer over the last few years has been driven by a creative desire as well as a determination to keep putting work in front of audiences …
Thank you to the good times and all the wonderful people who populated it …

I’m sharing bits from my last 30 years of making new work … if you wanna find out more go to sdjproductions.co.uk

#SDJ30

Bathing … ok … this is me in a bath tub. And… bathing is one if my fave activities… and … because I’m sharing work photos I thought I’d balance it with some post-work photos too …

#SDJ30

WHALE WEDDING. A short film project we made in 2004/5 with Guy Myhill steffimdj and Jill Norman. Up on the Norfolk Coast. A whale had beached and we wanted to honour the whale and so we walked out to see it in a wedding procession of sorts…

I’m sharing photos from work made over the last 30 years to celebrate making new work and the collaborations and collaborators …

#SDJ30

Guy Myhill… that’s me with him…in SNOWDONIA…I thought I’d share this today because it’s his birthday this weekend…Guy is a brilliant independent filmmaker… he made the cult classic THE GOOB… seen it ? It’s on MUBI at the moment …

We were making SNOWDONIA IS NOT LIKE NEW YORK … which is an on-going project where I compare and contrast the two places …

Celebrating collaborations with many folk as part of celebrating 30 years of making new work

#SDJ30

Find out more at sdjproductions.co.uk

Well…OK…some pictures tell a … this is the photo behind a photo shoot with the brilliant Jaimie Gramston when we were looking for an image to promote an UNDEFINED HUGH HUGHES PROJECT…
To be honest … it was often the case that promotion of shows happened ahead of having much clarity about what the show might be …

I love making theatre … I love making theatre as an ‘independent’ artist … I love looking for ways around the system … hoping I can find my own sense of freedom … hoping I can genuinely make the work I want to make … Promoting the work feels like a tricky one … promoting anything maybe ends up reducing the complex thing to a supremely simple one thing…

Over this year I’m sharing stuff from the last 30 years of making new work

It’s brilliant to remember how many many brilliant people I’ve had the biggest fortune to work with … Jaimie Gramston … absolutely brilliant

#SDJ30

This is the wonderful John Biddle biddleyjohn … I’ve worked with John on several projects … collaborating with him as a composer … he is really brilliant because he “not just a composer” … he’s an all-round theatre-maker and storyteller and a very brilliant person to have in the room.

My latest play, CRACKING, has been shortlisted for a Tinniswood Award for best original audio play - an award presented at BBC Audio Drama Awards on Sunday 24th March and I wanted to acknowledge here in the metaverse of instagram the very big huge brilliant contribution that John made to that piece…

Thanks John

#SDJ30

Steffi steffimdj playing Sue the Stage Manager in 1999s LIVING LIKE VICTOR. This was a nudge nudge wink wink post modern meta theatrical comedy romp…the Edinburgh get in and get-out with this show was a real work out - the set weighed a ton, made of wood and sand bags…

I’m sharing tales from thirty years of making work here this year… more can be found in my website sdjproductions.co.uk

#SDJ30

HOLDING HANDS. In 2006 I took Floating to Edinburgh with Jill Norman aka Sioned Rowlands. In between shows we did our HOLDING HANDS project asking people to hold hands across the city to remind themselves that we are all connected.

Over this year I’m dropping photos to celebrate 30 years of making work and celebrating things like … Jill Norman. I had the best best time working with her and laughed every day so hard so hard …

#SDJ30

HOLDING HANDS. In 2006 I ran a project called HOLDING HANDS during the Edinburgh Festival edfringe … encouraging people to hold hands across the city as a way of connecting and feeling connected… it was part of my HUGH HUGHES PROJECT.

#SDJ30

In 1999 we made a show called LIVING LIKE VICTOR … I made it with steffimdj and the_moog We toured it all over the place … including a run in Paris at Theatre Paris-Villette parisvillette
When we took it to The Philippines we encountered an earthquake that smashed through the karaoke bar we were in … luckily there were no fatalities that night … I learnt that standing in a doorway is the safest place to stand in a building in an earthquake

This photo was taken by richardheeps … he took almost all out promotion shots in the 90s

Over the next year I’m dropping bits’n’pieces here, celebrating 30 years of making new work
#SDJ30

This is Steffi. The photo is from a project we made together called WHALE WEDDING. Following the sighting of a beached whale on the Norfolk coast we rushed up there. To mark the occasion we walked to see it in a wedding procession style stroll… there was a gang of us … as well as steffimdj there was the 8 year old josiedalejones and a toddler getoffmyhill and the brilliant Jill Norman… we made a film shot by Guy Myhill …

Steffi has helped with pretty much every project I’ve ever initiated. This photo is dedicated to all her brilliance

Over the next year I’m sharing photos from the last 30 years of making new work … thanks thanks thanks

#SDJ30

In 1997 we made DEAD ON THE GROUND. It was the first show we took to the Edinburgh Festival. It was a total fantasy about a novice angel taking a live person from earth too soon…the extraordinary Jonathan Stone helped us put the show together … I made this show with jonathanjoturner and steffimdj …

Thanks to richardheeps for another great promotional photo …

#SDJ30

In 1996 we made a show called HONESTLY. It was the first show I toured … we toured all over the UK… from Ullapool to Cornwall … and over to Germany and Sweden and the USA… I made this show as a piece of devised theatre with Gaetan Schmid, Jason Turner and steffimdj with help from Mick Barnfather and Juliet O’Brien … this photo was one of a series of promo shots taken by richardheeps

Over the next year I’m posting stuff from 30 years of making new work … thanks everyone for the ride

#SDJ30

In 2013 we worked on a short film called CAN I HELP? which started with an attempt to find grit for the icy conditions on the roads and escalated to an attempt to solve the climate emergency … all from one person’s bedroom …

You can watch the film on my website sdjproductions.co.uk

The film was shot by the fantastic Jaimie Gramston
#SDJ30

Today I kick off touring for 2024 … CRACKING is on cambridgejunction tonight at 7.30pm