Arts & Culture
Published: May 22, 2023 | Updated: 18th May 2023
I am so excited to be presenting the first monthly Arts and Culture Matters column for Hampshire Biz News.
My name is Jason Ward and I am a live experience creative director, theatre reviewer, writer and podcast host. I have created, directed and produced shows, experiences and programmes for Disney, Carnival UK, brands, theatre companies, towns and the winners of both Britain’s Got Talent and The Voice!
In this first edition we have a review of the incredible Mamma Mia which is heading to Portsmouth later this month and an interview with burlesque superstar Lucy Ryan who will be in Southampton and Aldershot as part of her Evening of Burlesque tour.
We finish with a quick look at how to make sure your creative projects get delivered effectively in the Creating Atmosphere section.
I hope you like the column!
COMING SOON to King’s Theatre, Portsmouth
Mamma Mia – Novello Theatre, London
Being a bit of a musical theatre snob, I always avoided Mamma Mia and filed it away as ‘just a feel good’ show. But there is much more to this show than great party bangers. Although I was on my feet at the end screaming along with everyone else!
This show does make us feel good as it’s lead character, Donna, is taken on a journey of self acceptance by her daughter and her friends. Aided by the three men she slept with during her hot girl summer 20 years ago. Once Donna learns to accept herself, it helps us in the audience do the same.
Mazz Murray as Donna and Frankie Jones as her daughter Sophie were both exceptional and had amazing support from a hugely talented cast, including Gemma Atkins as sexy cougar Tanya, and a sharp ensemble of incredible dancers and singers.
Mamma Mia will be at the Kings Theatre, Portsmouth from 19th – 27th May as part of its UK and International tour.
Lay All Your Love on this show and get a ticket!
Lucy Ryan
The creator of burlesque superstar Ivy Paige, Lucy Ryan is a writer, actress and singer as well as Creative Director of An Evening of Burlesque which comes to Southampton later this month prior to visiting Aldershot and then a West End run later this year. You may have seen her on ITV’s The Voice but there’s much more to Lucy than that.
Burlesque superstar Ivy Paige Credit: Lucy Ryan
What inspires your creative ideas?
I have to listen to lots of music. I lie down with my eyes shut and my partner will say ‘you’re working aren’t you?’ If I get an idea in my head I let if float about and if I can’t stop thinking about it and if I obsess about it then I know its a good one!
Why are arts and culture important to everyone?
If you think about what we went through during the pandemic, we all sat there and watched Netflix or films and started reading books.
Everybody should be able to express themselves and sometimes it feels like there is a hierarchy of arts which is not necessary. During COVID I qualified as an English and Drama teacher and I saw the healing power of the arts and I’m a big advocate of everybody having access to the arts at a grass roots level.
What advice would you give to a business to help them become more creative?
Understand and identify your product and be unashamedly proud of it. Look for opportunities and don’t be afraid to take risks.
Who is your creative hero?
I first heard Kate Bush when I was 14 and thought she was amazing. I always describe her work as ‘music for the soul’. Each song is like a work of art in itself. I also love the world that Angela Carter creates in her books.
What piece of creative work are you most proud of?
There’s a few! I’m really proud of An Evening of Burlesque because we have come back from the pandemic with such a strong format. I’m really proud of the acts in the show and the brilliant team but I’m also really proud of how people are receiving the show. It really is a combination of creative and commercial success.
As the creative director I have worked with the acts to find moments that make the show more and help us tell the story better. And aside from that I’m also really proud of what I achieved on The Voice which generated all sorts of tabloid reports but was a really lovely experience and definitely helped my career.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a brand new number for An Evening of Burlesque which you will see at Mast, Mayflower Southampton! I’m also writing my new show Ivy Paige:Burlesque Bombshell for the Edinburgh Festival this year. I have just started to write a book and I’m not sure where its going to take me but it will be about the world of cabaret and burlesque. And I also have doing a TED Talk on my list.
You can catch Lucy as Ivy Paige in An Evening of Burlesque at Mast Mayflower Studios on May 19th and at Aldershot, Princes Hall on October 5th.
The show is grown up, glamorous, and stylish and suggested for audience members over 18.
You can hear my full interview with Lucy Ryan on The Confidently Creative Podcast online.
How do you know when your idea is a good one?
Dance 100 that on paper had everything needed to be a monster smash hit Credit: Netflix
Last month Netflix released a show called Dance 100 that on paper had everything needed to be a monster smash hit. It features eight hugely talented choreographers competing for a $100,000 prize, there are 100 of the world’s best commercial dancers, a huge budget, and some of today’s biggest hits as a soundtrack. This show had success stamped right across it
But something happened between concept and delivery because the show turned out to be confusing, poorly-paced and a bit dull. So what went wrong? There is a step in the creative process that we all need to work on; Verification.
This is when we refine and distil our idea or concept to its most simple form which is often a one sentence description. The key here is only to describe. As somebody once said about politicians “If you find yourself explaining rather than describing then you are in trouble!” And it is the same with creativity.
The next time you are creating a new concept, product or service spend some time refining the idea into its simplest form before commissioning it into a six part TV series!
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Business Contact: jasonwardcreative@gmail.com
Instagram: @jasonwardcreative
Twitter: @ConfCreative
