Sunday 1 August 2010

Oh yes I am...

Thought I'd post an update on what's coming up after the Les Miserables Tour.

I will be swashing my buckles in Richmond, Surry as Prince Charming in "Sleeping Beauty". So lets all dust off our cynicism and dive crown first into Pantoland! Hoorah.

This will be the 2ND time I've "he's behind you" -ed over the Christmas period and having loved the last festive adventure, I'm really looking forward to this one. Richmond really is one of my favourite places, it's truly gorgeous and I would recommend lazy Sundays there.

I've already had my photo shoot for the publicity (you're gonna love the costume - Blue and gold with my very own cape!)

So book up now. Here's the link and see you there... oh yes I will! Sorry, just getting in some early practice.

www.ffe-uk.com/season/season.aspx?catID=325

Wednesday 2 June 2010

A New Promise...

Hi.

So due to the wonder of twitter and my new found love of the app on my phone, my blogging resposibilities have been noticibly wanting over the last few months. I am truly sorry to those of you who only follow this blog and I shall endevour to give more regular up dates on this site in future.

To go someway towards evening the blog vs tweet balance, I came up with a pledge; to only ever announce career updates, gigs or new projects on this site and not on twitter. I shall plug them using the little bird, but never fully disclose the details. A small but important distinction, I feel.

So, Paris baby! Good lord does this city have a vibe. The bustling, the horns, the "je voudrias une grande espresso svp" (please don't correct my French, I am aware how bad it is! C at GCSE speaks for itself).

The theatre is breathtakingly beautiful. More of an opera house look than a playhouse. Lavish gold most places you look and the sound kicks "derair" (again, bad French, leave it). The press has been more important here and ticket sales are starting to amp up. As far as we can tell, the audiences have been very responssive, so we're all good.

Just a quick heads up, thought I should repost my holiday dates. They are:

4th - 6th June.
2nd - 12th July.
5th - 7th August.

We finish the tour at the Barbican in London on 2nd October and (in accordance with the above pledge) our cast has been invited to join the 25th Anniversary concert at the O2 arena on the 3rd October. Very exciting times.

Thursday 22 April 2010

The new me.co.uk

The all new jonrobyns.co.uk will be launched this weekend. The design of this blog should give y'all some indication of how the new site will look.

It'd be great if you could let me know what you think of all aspects of the new site.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

The tour is open in Edinburgh now. More info on that soon.

Thursday 1 April 2010

Check out the misery...

So here is the New Les Miserables video that I've been droning on about for the past few weeks. It's on the Chatelet theatre website, enjoy:

www.chatelet-theatre.com/2009-2010/musicals/les-miserables,423

Tuesday 30 March 2010

Mini Me

I have finally got round to joining the mini blogging wonder of Twitter.

The main site is being re-developed and will soon be launched with a whole new look and some new features including a store where you can purchase any albums that I'm on. The new Les Miserables album will be available in the next few months and the Tour EPK in the next few weeks, exciting times.

Birmingham Rocks!

Friday 19 February 2010

Hi all,

Well, phew! Manchester proved to be quite... no incredibly busy. Here's a small guide to the intricacies of putting up a show the size of the Les Miserables tour:

The first week of any new venue is always frantic what with the get in for the crew and stage management depts, followed by the dress rehearsal which is the first time the new dressers and in house crew have set eyes on the production. Brown trousers for all.

Then there's the opening night preview attended by heads of creative depts - director (in our case 2), music dept and movement dept heads and more often than not, the producer.

The next day sees a note session to sort out any problems the new venue presents followed by another show.

After this is usually a matinee and then the official press night opening of the show. (stop me if you're getting tired). Then the party, at which everyone is very well behaved and tucked up in bed by 11 having in no way drunk dry the stock of whatever bar we defiantly aren't in... got that!

That brings us to Fridays which are spent (with no hangovers) doing more notes and a show in the evening. Saturday is another 2 and then some sort of small aneurysm on Sunday.

Believe it or not, this is a lenient tour schedule.

So my point, long winded as it may be, is that the start of any new city is immediately very tiring. In Manchester we had this plus a weeks recording the Cast Album, which will be out later this year, watch the site for more details, an EPK (electronic press kit) similar to a music video for promoting the show was filmed, and we had to get ready for the subsequent venue - Norwich. All in a month. So, I'm truly cream-crackered!

Now in Norwich, home of in my opinion the best waffle house in the country, the Les Mis tour just keeps on trucking. A small but perfectly formed theatre houses us for the next 4 weeks.

I thought that I should post my holiday dates. They are:

4th, 5th and 6th of March.
4th 5th and 6th of June.
2nd 3rd and 4th of July.
5th 6th and 7th of August.

At these shows the part of Enjolras will be played by the wonderful, welsh and far too attractive for my liking Owain Williams.

Just a quick thank you to the talented students of Pendleton College in Salford who were great fun to teach while I was visiting the city. Good luck to all of you auditioning for Drama Schools.

That's all for now just a last recommendation to take a quick look at the new Les Mis site, very cool.

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Coming up north for air...

Our Cardiff stay has been wonderful. Between the technical rehearsals, which are always hellish, and the previews, press night, day rehearsals and evening shows, it's been full and tiring. But now the real tour begins!

So, onto Manchester (the city of my birth) and for me a new place to work. Manchester will also be packed full of Les Mis goodness in every bite. I can't reveal why just yet but all will become clear over the next few weeks.

The audiences have been truly incredible here in Wales and we're hoping they continue to be elsewhere. We've all but sold out in Manchester and I think Birmingham too. But should you wish to hear the show via the wondrous piracy that is you tube, then you can feast your ears on us singing away on that very site. But do come to see the show if you can, otherwise you'll miss the true star of the show... my Wig.

Happy new year.