Metra Theatre

Metra Theatre is an east London based theatre company established in August 2005. The company specialises in taking on what they perceive to be 'dormant' texts and bringing them to life, making them accessible to modern theatre audiences. This is illustrated in their company motto: 'Injecting a bolt of theatrical jive into the vein of the mundane'. They strive to keep admission costs to their productions low to draw in audiences who would not normally go to the theatre.

Metra Theatre consists of: Tanya Roberts, Jessica Stanley, Josephine Rogers, Francesca Hyde, Lee-Diep Chu, Joseph Cook, and Kristine G. Nielson. Former members have included Simon McPhillips and Tom Dye. Metra has performed with Danny Idollor, Nicole Gordon, Jamie Butcher, Chris Clynes, Josh Farrell, and Brad Fisher in past productions.

All Metra members, past and present, have graduated from or are current students of the Performing Arts degree at London Metropolitan University.

Measure for Measure

Nine graduating students, fresh from London Metropolitan University were chosen to perform William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure at the International Shakespeare festival in Gdańsk, Poland as part of the education program. the performance was directed by lecturers Gian Carlo Rossi and Lucy Richardson with vocal coach Jacek Ludwig Scarso. As was to become a staple factor in Metra's work, the development of the production drew heavily from the ideas of philosopher Gilles Deleuze. Deleuze refers to ideas as being rhizome, meaning a thick underground stem or root system. It stretches out, reaching into all dimensions, rebelling against its own foundations and outgrowing beginnings and endings.

Though the production was a modern reworking, it used Shakespeare’s original language and attempted to present it in a way that resonates today, not by replacing and resetting it in a parallel era or context, but by drawing on many different ideas, concepts, styles, techniques and quirks, and bring them together to form a unique, explorative and un-unified piece of theatre. Metra Theatre later described it as tackling Measure for Measure ‘with feminist foresight, socio-religious thinking and a bit of jive to boot’.

In early 2006, Metra Theatre showcased a new version of the performance - including an Aerial Dance performed by the new addition to the company Francesca Hyde - at The Lion and Unicorn pub theatre in Kentish Town, London. The production was popular and received a glowing review from Wendy Attwell (of The Shakespeare Revue ). The response to this production contributed heavily to Metra's passion in making theatre more accessible, and drawing in new audiences who wouldn't necessarily go to see a classical play for fear of 'not getting it'.

Simon McPhillips with Lucky Strike Productions and Press On Features went on to use an adapted version of the script in a film version of play. The film was set in a modern day army base, with Josephine Rogers continuing on with her role as Isabella.

Lysistrata

Metra Theatre performed their second production, a modern take on Aristophanes' Lysistrata (using the Dudley Fitts' translation) in July 2006, their first production developed without the guidance of their lecturers. Continuing on with the Deleuzian theory that Measure for Measure was rooted in, they intuitively jetted through a range of different sources and concepts which have a root in the context of the play, without feeling any pressure to be part of unified theme or universal conclusion. Metra utilised the Essentialist Feminism that is present in the text, drawing on music and dance from the 1920s, evoking a time when women were slowly but firmly rejecting the image of the submissive, dependent housewife. Lysistrata was performed at the Brickhouse on Brick Lane in East London. The production continued Metra's use of different disciplines by incorporating static trapeze and the 1920s Charleston style of dance.

The Revenger's Tragedy

Metra Theatre's third production was a take on Thomas Middleton's The Revenger's Tragedy, directed by Tanya Roberts and performed as part of the Enterprise 08 Festival at the Space theatre in Isle of Dogs.

Current projects

Metra Theatre's current production is an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters performed on a boat. The first run took place during a week in November, 2008 along the Regent's Canal in Camden. Metra Theatre then embarked on a national tour of '3 Sisters' in 2009, performing as part of Bath Fringe Festival in May, Blysh Festival (in association with the Wales Millennium Centre) in July, and made their debut at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. In July 2010, they appeared as Olga, Masha and Irina at The Secret Garden Party. They continue the tour with dates in London in August, and The Lowry in Manchester in September.

Ortorious: Magnificent English Speeches, a radio play written by Joe Cook is currently in post production.

External links

• Official company website
• Wendy Attwell's review of Measure for Measure
• Ukscreen profile
• Teatrum Gedanese Foundation
• The Space
• Maddy Ryle's review of The Revenger's Tragedy
• Skye Crawford's review of 3 Sisters
• Article in the Independent by Alice Jones
• Review of 3 Sisters by BroadwayBaby.com
• Interview with the director and cast of 3 Sisters from EdFest TV
• Review of 3 Sisters by TimeOut
• Review of 3 Sisters by the Herald
• Review of 3 Sisters by Three Weeks
• Article from London Metropolitan University website