Latest news with #Brining
Scotsman
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
The Scottish theatre bringing 'powerful' new plays to people's living rooms, kitchens and gardens
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It has been an icon of the Edinburgh theatre scene for almost 150 years, with a grand city centre auditorium seating more than 650 audience members. Now, the Royal Lyceum Theatre is to downsize its audience capacity significantly - when it takes its latest plays to be performed in living rooms, kitchens and gardens across the city. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The inside of the Royal Lyceum Theatre | Peter Dibden New initiative Lyceum at Home will involve four newly-commissioned 30-minute plays by Scottish writers, which will be taken to homes of local people all over Edinburgh - as well as to community centres and workplaces. This comes as the theatre unveiled its programme for the coming season. Highlights include the already-announced world premiere of a musical of David Nicolls novel One Day, as well as a production of Anton Chekov's The Seagull, starring Jonathan Creek star Caroline Quentin. James Brining's first season as artistic director will also include Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, a Dundee Rep Theatre production in association with the soon-to-be reopened Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, and a Christmas production of Cinderella: A Fairytale, directed by Tron Theatre's artistic director, Jemima Levick. The Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh | Contributed The Lyceum at Home initiative is part of the 60th-anniversary celebrations of the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company. The theatre said the plays will reflect the lives, choices and everyday moments that make Edinburgh and would widen its reach across the Scottish capital and 'build on the bonds and relationships which connect us all'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Brining said: 'I was really keen to make a statement about our interest in the whole of the city. We're based right in the heart of Edinburgh, but we want to reach out to people and communities across the whole of Edinburgh. We're doing this project that will involve four short new plays, and we're going to take them out into people's houses.' Mr Brining said he had worked on a similar initiative when working at the Playhouse Theatre in Leeds, when actors performed to as few as five people in a residential home. The Lyceum at Home project is due to launch in mid summer. 'It's a really interesting project,' he said. 'We will actually take plays into living rooms and have people invite neighbours, friends, family, whatever, to come and see these shows. It's a brilliant, low-key thing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's a statement of our interest in being involved with the city in as wide a way as we can, without compromising the work we do in the theatre. It's a beautiful, important part of the culture.' Associate artistic director Zinnie Harris said: 'For the past 60 years, The Royal Lyceum has been at the heart of Edinburgh's cultural life, creating theatre and inspiring audiences with work that is deeply rooted in Scottish culture and community. 'Now we want to spread this work into the community, bringing powerful performances and storytelling into Edinburgh residences homes. Whether it's a living room, a garden or your office we want to give everyone in the city an opportunity to experience the works of some of Scotland's leading writers.'
Scotsman
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Caroline Quentin: Jonathan Creek star to perform in Chekov play in Edinburgh seen 'through Scottish lens'
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Caroline Quentin is to star alongside a cast of Scottish actors in a production of an iconic Russian play told 'through a Scottish lens'. The Men Behaving Badly and Jonathan Creek star is to perform in Anton Chekov's The Seagull at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh next season in the first show for new artistic director James Brining. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The facade of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. | Eamonn McGoldrick She said she was looking forward to playing in a 'proper' theatre in Edinburgh, decades after her 'first real successes as an actor' on the Fringe. Ms Quentin said: 'This production of The Seagull is the realisation of so many dreams. I have wanted to play Arkadina since I was in a production playing Masha nearly 40 years ago. 'The city of Edinburgh gave me my first real successes as an actor, on the Fringe with An Evening with Gary Lineker, Trench Kiss and Live Bed Show, all by Arthur Smith, and this year I finally get to play in a 'proper' theatre and they don't come any more beautiful and prestigious than the Lyceum.' Mr Brining, who recently moved back to Scotland after a stint at the Leeds Playhouse, said the play, which will be performed from October 9 to November 1, had been carefully selected as his first performance. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Quentin will take takes on the pivotal role of Arkadina, a once-celebrated actress who dominates every room she enters. Her son, the tormented young playwright Konstantin, yearns to escape her shadow, revolutionise theatre and win the heart of Nina - a luminous young woman with dreams of the stage. But when Nina's gaze turns to Arkadina's lover, the celebrated writer Trigorin, egos and passions collide with truly devastating consequences. Mr Brining said The Seagull would 'still be Russian' and have 'Russian references', but 'through a Scottish lens'. He said: 'The play is an examination of theatre itself, which is why it felt like such a perfect introduction for myself as a director in this new role. It felt like a playful choice, in some respects, for my first show, to do something that actually centres, to an extent, on what we're actually doing here, making theatre.' Mr Brining added: 'One of the reasons I was really keen to come back to Scotland to work in the Lyceum was the opportunity to make that kind of work.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Caroline Quentin in The Seagull. Pic: Steph Pyne and Mihaela Bodlovic | Lyceum During his time in Leeds, Mr Brining said he had commissioned a range of 'substantial musicals and opera'. 'I've loved doing that and I want to continue to do that kind of work,' he said. 'But what keen to do over time when I'm here is to make a diverse range of work in order to appeal to a diverse audience. At the Lyceum, I've got the opportunity to do the great plays as well, and The Seagull is exactly that. It is the kind of play we should be doing. It's an option for the Edinburgh audience to reengage in that play or maybe see it for the first time.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Sandburg alumni win awards
Sandburg has announced the winners of its 2025 alumni awards. Dr. Doug Brining, a 1988 graduate, was selected as the Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient, and Craig Dickerson, a 2017 graduate, received the Pacesetter Award. Brining and Dickerson are also Sandburg's nominees for the Illinois Community College Association's Distinguished Alumnus and Pacesetter awards. The ICCTA award winners will be announced at the organization's banquet June 6 in Normal. 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award Dr. Doug Brining '88 Dr. Doug Brining is a dedicated leader with exemplary accomplishments that have created a profound impact. He's given extensive time and dedication to the field of science and veterinary research while collaborating on the examination of the world's most infectious diseases. Brining has published 40 articles, served on more than 20 committees and has performed numerous exploratory surgical procedures. In high school, Brining believed his counselor when told he wasn't college material. A first-generation college student, Brining enrolled at Sandburg as a chance to meet people, but he soon realized his passion for science. Brining found himself enrolling in all science classes offered by the biology instructor who gave inspiration to his studies. Brining graduated from Sandburg with an Associate in Science in 1988. Though still not convinced he was college material, Brining's friends encouraged him to apply and continue at a four-year institution. Brining earned two bachelor's degrees and later his doctorate from Texas A&M University. Brining now holds four employment titles with the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He serves as assistant vice president for research administration (animal programs), executive director of UTMB's Animal Resources Center, attending veterinarian and assistant professor of microbiology and immunology. In addition to his work at UTMB, Brining is a diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. 'It would be difficult for me to overstate the influence and importance that my time at Carl Sandburg College had on both my future academic and professional career,' Brining said. 'Over 35 years have passed since my time there, and I've often shared how much I benefited by attending community college. When I started my coursework there, I truly didn't have a specific end goal in mind and would have never imagined the journey this foundational decision would set in motion.' 'At Carl Sandburg College, I developed fundamental academic skills and discovered the joy of learning for the sake of interest,' he added. 'I clearly remember the quality of the professors and their dedication and enthusiasm about the subjects they taught. Their excitement and passion were genuinely contagious. It was there I developed an intense interest in biology and life sciences, which led me to a career in marine biology, veterinary medicine and academic research. I'll be forever thankful about my decision to attend and for the powerful influence that choice had on my life.' 2025 Pacesetter Award Craig Dickerson '17 As someone who prioritizes goals and is dedicated to making them a reality, Craig Dickerson exemplifies what it means to be a pacesetter. While a student at Sandburg, Dickerson worked as a supervisor at a local restaurant to assist with paying for college. He was also an NAACP member, participated in Relay for Life, volunteered for La Grace Hall of Hope, presented at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast and was active in Men of Distinction. After graduating from Sandburg in 2017 with an associate degree, Dickerson earned his bachelor's in sales and marketing from Illinois State University. In 2019, Dickerson began work for Verizon as a retail specialist. Early in his career, he set the goal of joining Verizon's Learning and Development team. Dickerson was named to Verizon's Diamond Club in 2022 and recognized as a premier senior account manager the following year. Last September, Dickerson achieved his goal of becoming as a senior trainer with the company's Learning and Development team. In addition to working for Verizon, Dickerson has worked at Staples, ESPN3, Scope Health & Fitness and for the Peoria County government. 'I wouldn't be where I am or who I am today without the experiences I had during my time at Carl Sandburg College,' Dickerson said. 'Being born and raised in Galesburg, you sometimes aren't exposed to all the world has to offer or have the chance to interact with people who are vastly different from you. However, while attending Sandburg I was able to partner, befriend and be supported by individuals from places like Scotland, Brazil, Jamaica and multiple states, giving me the opportunity to see what life was like outside of a small town and all that I could do. 'Sandburg gave me the time to mature, grow and get to know myself in a way I didn't know possible, and for that, I will be forever grateful. I had the pleasure of taking dual credit classes while attending high school and being exposed to higher education at an early age. During this time, I knew I wasn't quite ready to leave home. Sandburg gave me a home for the next two years until I knew I was prepared and ready to take on my undergraduate degree at Illinois State University. After graduating from ISU in 2019, I've been successful in climbing the corporate ladder and moving across the country to Denver. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish all the things I have without the love and support Sandburg gave me.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Through It All Together - a play about Bielsa
"It's his presence and the way people talk about him. He lives in our imagination as much as he does in reality."That's how Leeds Playhouse artistic director James Brining eulogises former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa and how the Argentine affected the club and the city."He had an aura about him that I do not see in any other football manager. He has a different quality."Bielsa has been gone from Elland Road for almost three years. His body of work and other-worldly way, you feel, will resonate forever around these wants to make sure it is remembered and reinvigorated in his new production being premiered in Leeds this June - Through It All play, written by Chris O'Connor, is about a fictional couple, Howard and Sue, massive Leeds fans, one of whom is living with to Adam Pope's full interview with Brining and O'Connor here"I'm trying to reflect the city and how many different aspects of that city went on a journey during Bielsa's era," explains O'Connor, an avid Leeds fan himself."I'm always unsure how football translates on stage. It's hard to do well and I've also wanted to write something about dementia. I have a close family member who lives with it." For Brining, Bielsa's influence was omnipresent: "What he is and was is something beyond that (football). What he did was about reframing what a club could be in relation to its fans and its city."He demonstrated that fairly modest Championship players could play in the Premier League and excel because of belief, teamwork, the values he instilled in them and the culture that he created."After the premiere in Leeds this summer, ideally after another promotion, the duo have high hopes to see the play go on tour."First and foremost you want to write entertaining stories," adds O'Connor. "But I'd like some people to maybe feel differently about dementia. And I'd like people to relive memories we all had when Leeds got promoted."As for Bielsa himself, Brining says they will reach out and let him know he has inspired the play. Brining missed Bielsa when he visited the Playhouse with his family during his tenure at the afterwards he wrote to the artistic director to say how much he enjoyed the experience: "The theatre is important for people's souls. I love what you are doing and together we are doing the same sort of thing." In his own humble way I think he will approve from the wings with a "Very good, Brining!"Through It All Together runs at the Leeds Playhouse from 23 June to 19 to West Yorkshire Sport Daily, weeknights at 18:00, and subscribe to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast on BBC Sounds.
