Brand New Ancients

Today has been a good day. One of those days that just roll smoothly. It involved an early start (early mornings & I have a difficult relationship at best) and a long train journey, but all parts of the transport jigsaw clicked together perfectly. There were two big meetings that were being approached with twinges of trepidation but went better than I'd dared hope.  The journey home got off to an earlier than anticipated start & again the journey was smooth & sweetened by good conversation. As effortless as a Manchester to London followed by a cross London commute home could ever be.

So when I stepped out of my home to go & meet a friend for pre-theatre food followed by Brand New Ancients at the BAC I was feeling confident of a good evening. It was just that kind of blessed day. My confidence was so high I risked the bus over the train. They never normally turn up moments after I reach the bus stop (my friends can vouch for my relatively common bus related rages) but today the normal rules did not apply.

Dropped a dozen steps from the restaurant. Food was lovely & my friend was buoyed with her own good news. Life is good.

We headed to the BAC for pre show twitter tix drinks. The atmosphere was electric. It was opening night. Expectations were high and it was a full house.

As a spot of background Brand New Ancients is a brand new piece of theatre written and performed by Kate Tempest. The score was composed by Nell Catchpole in collaboration with Kwake Bass, Jo Gibson, Natasha Zielazinski & Raven Bush.  It went through several scratch sessions but tonight was the premiere of the finished piece.

I didn't really know what to expect but frankly I like that sense of discovery when I go to see any performance art. What I didn't expect was to find myself standing and clapping like a crazy woman, tears in my eyes because I'd just experienced something so genuine and true. Kate Tempest can find love & humanity in the most unexpected & unforgiven people. Her storytelling is powerful & evocative. You feel that she loves her characters no matter how flawed, or twisted by their circumstances. It is impossible not to respond to that. Add to that the disarming way she peppers the piece with her own thoughts and the performance feels very fresh & alive.

I now have an amazing feeling of clarity. I was considering going straight to bed the minute I got home but I didn't want to squander this feeling.  My breath was taken. I still feel a bit out of puff.  When I said that today was a good day I lied, it was bloody amazing!

Brand New Ancients is on at the Battersea Arts Centre until 22nd September.  Nab tickets while you can because if this doesn't sell out on word of mouth alone, the world is even madder than I thought.