Name:  Marc Robert Roberts

Job title(s):  Cinema Projectionist / Cafe Counter Assistant / Usher

How did you get started working at Chapter? I escaped from school at 16. Being keen on Theatre, art and music I approached Chapter and started working under the YTS. My duties and experiences were varied, but mostly based in the publicity dept where I developed a keen interest in ‘Letraset’ and became pretty good at intricate, three dimensional poster displays.

Favourite thing about working at Chapter? The wonderful people. I love working at Chapter. No two days are the same.

Best memories at Chapter? Many over the years… from the danger of performing in a show ‘Over The Wall’, devised by Trevor Turton in the ’80′s to recently adorning a bee suit and opening the hive of the Chapter Bees.

Favourite Chapter event? So much choice, however, the launch of my book of Poetry / Stories / Lyrics, ‘Listen’ on my 40th birthday. (It’s on sale in the shop!) Maybe a couple of music events I was involved with, ‘Y Cardiff’ a folk extravaganza and the enchanting ‘Shelleyan Orphan’. They are one of my favourite groups. It was amazing to play on the same stage as them.

What do you get up to outside of Chapter? I seek and listen to beautiful music. I make music. I enjoy vegetarian cooking. I collect found objects. I love a good rumage in a charity shop. I like to read, looking forward to the next installment in Clive Barker’s phantasmargorical ‘Abarat’ series.

Tell us about your music. I write songs, sing and play guitar. My group is ‘Zeuk’. The music has been described as ‘smouldering gothic folk’.  Some people are surprised when they hear me sing, but you’d have to check us out to find out why!

Do you have any other hidden talents? I would love to learn ventriloquism so as to give a voice to inanimate objects. I am working on this with my friend, Michael Lordofchaos.

Your favourite place, outside of Chapter? The Lake District has been a special place for me. The Scilly Isles too.I like traipsing around London. Home.

If money was no object what would you buy? I’d probably travel around the world, with a guitar and lots of notepads.

Who would you like to play you in a film of your life? Peter Cushing and Hartley Hare… in the same film.

What’s your favourite snack? I do like a pinch of pollen.

Tell us a secret… I talk to the Chapter Bees.

Tell us a joke… To get to the other side… Why did the neutrino cross the road?

Name: Richard Higlett

Job title: Gallery Invigilator

How long have you worked at Chapter? 1 year, 2 months and 3 days (just a young pup in the scheme of things)

Your best memory at Chapter? Too many and usually involving real ale.

Your favourite Chapter event? I really enjoyed the Car Bootique which brought people together. My favourite exhibition would be The Magic Show last year.

What do you get up to outside of Chapter? Practising artist with a studio just a few yards away.

Tell us a bit about your work. Just built a mobile PA for Fiesta to take sound art into urban and rural places. Recently presented at g39, The Dairy in Pontcanna. I tend to drift between painting, film and sound art.

Do you have any hidden talents? I love Karaoke and find it hard to pass a pub when it’s on. I’m a crooner.

Tell us about your football allegiances. CCFC the first, best and original… Coventry City FC.

Are the sky blue glory days going to return? No, but I’m not in it for the winning, just the hard times. I’m not a sports fan in general, but football is responsible for how fathers and sons come together.

If money was no object what would you buy? Like all kids of the 70s — Prawn Cocktail, Steak and Chips, followed by Black Forest Gateaux. Otherwise, employ a health coach and buy more time.

Who would you like to play you in a film of your life? Someone handsome and thinner, or Will Roberts from Chapter Shop.

Tell us a secret… If I did then it wouldn’t be a secret and we all need a little guilt to define us.

Tell us a joke… Whats the most common Owl in Britain? The Teat-Owl

Name: Megan Price

Job title: Marketing Officer

I hear you’re at the cutting edge of new and social media? Any future tips/insights? Well Google+ is where it’s at at the moment, although it’s mostly full of people talking about Google+, so it’s got a long way to go to supplant my Twitter addiction! Anyone who’s looking for social media tips should come along to the monthly Social Media Surgery here – 5-7pm on the first Wednesday of every month.

Favourite thing about working at Chapter? Where to start? The art is exciting and challenging, the people are fabulous and the beer is pretty stonking too, especially for an ale girl.

Best memories at Chapter? Our 40^th birthday weekend was pretty special – a whole three days of everything and everyone who makes Chapter the wonderful place that it is.

Best/Most moving Chapter event/film/exhibition? Gerald Tyler’s Big Hands was a real highlight. Epic and filmic, while still intimate and gripping. Gerald is the sort of performer who really does hold the audience in the palm of his hand.

Tell us about your theatrical background/involvements. I’m a theatre baby, literally. My Mam used to take me to work with her in wardrobe at Theatre Clwyd in my pram. My Dad was Technical Stage Manager there for 20 years, so I grew up surrounded by the theatre. I was part of Clwyd Youth Theatre and Llanelli Youth Theatre – I suppose I’ve always been destined to work in the arts!

How did you get involved with local politics? I’ve always been fairly politically active, so when a friend asked me to help him to campaign on local issues I jumped at the chance. To cut a long story short, we’re now running as Independents in the local elections in Llandaff North next year.

Do you have Welsh or Westminster Government ambitions? Not at all. My passion is really getting involved in the local community and having an immediate impact on things that affect their day to day lives.

Do you have any other hidden talents? Well, I can hold a tune, so I’m told. I’m also pretty nifty when it comes to knitting and baking.

Your favourite place, outside of Chapter? Edinburgh, at Festival time.

If money was no object what would you buy? A classic VW camper van. I guess I’d have to learn to drive then too…

Who would you like to play you in a film of your life? Alyson Hannigan (yes, I’m a complete Buffy nerd).

What’s your favourite snack? Does cake count? Red velvet cup cakes. Or wasabi peas.

Tell us a secret… I was baptised by JRR Tolkien’s son.

Tell us a joke… What’s the fastest cake? Scone!

Name: Katy Sinclair-Thomson

Job title: Assistant Sales and Ticketing Manager

How long have you worked at Chapter? 20 years. I got a job in the bar to get some holiday money together and I’m still here!

Does that make you the longest standing member of staff!? Scarily, it almost does.

Do you think your son Josh will still be working here in 20 years? No, he has a sense of adventure and will probably be halfway around the world by then!

Best memory at Chapter? Camping out at the back of the building for our own Blair Witch experience is a bizarre one that springs to mind.

Your favourite Chapter event? I loved the Peter Liversidge exhibition last year and the whole concept of ideas being made into reality.

What do you get up to outside of Chapter? Currently lots of DIY — we’re doing up a house.

Do you have any hidden talents? I take the occasional half decent snap.

If money was no object what would you buy? A VW campervan would definitely be on my list.

Who would you like to play you in a film of your life? Olivia Newton John

What’s your favourite snack? Friday’s homemade cakes in the Box Office.

Tell us a secret… I once did a Charlie’s Angel style kick to open the old Chapter front doors. (They shattered.)

Tell us a joke… Why couldn’t the coffee bean go out to play? He was grounded.

Caroline Sabin talks about her new dance piece Lifedeathlife and how rehearsals are progressing.

Well, the lovely marketing folk came, saw, ate muffins and left. I’m grateful they took the time to come (hence the muffin provision) and some of them had travelled a fair way to make it. Others had simply wandered down the corridor – but I’m grateful all the same. The response was positive, with some laughter in the right places and one or two tears. A good result, I felt, for an unlit daytime showing.

It was a hot day and we were pushed hard. The rehearsal video we’ve posted seems to be the quieter sections, but there’s a portion in the middle of the piece where the tone becomes dark, raw and anarchic and stretches both of us to the limits of our stamina. I’m glad I started running after Christmas.

Today has been a music day, and so a much needed day off for Lara. I’ve been listening to a lot of Trent Reznor’s non vocal work, and frankly I think the man is a genius. I’m keeping the music palette simple, to avoid that i-pod feel, and with Gerald downloading such delights as the sound of space debris entering the atmosphere of Jupiter (just amazing) I think I’ll be happy with the result. Other aural delights include the sound of horses eating (I’m calling in a favour from the riding school in Pontcanna Fields where I used to work between Earthfall tours) and the meltingly delicious strings of another musical genius, Mr Arvo Part.

Listening to skilful, heartfelt music always restores my faith in us as a species. The jewels composers create just blow me away. The tag line for this show is ‘Infinity. Mortality. Jokes about your Mum.’ A simpler by line emerged today,

Life is amazing…and really hard…but amazing.

Thanks for reading,

Wishing you more wonder and less hardship,

Caroline.

You can find out more about the show and book tickets here.

Caroline Sabin talks about her new dance piece Lifedeathlife and how rehearsals are progressing.

The third week of rehearsals is already coming to a close, but I feel we are in pretty good shape – however I’m going to need considerably bigger pants.

It’s the harness – a section of the show involves suspending a dancer a few feet from the ground and those straps get EVERYWHERE. Other than that I find it strangely soothing to roll through space three dimensionally, with gravity put on hold for a while, and falling is not an issue. Soft inverted foetal positions, sculptural angels, crucifixions, birds and insects all emerge and fade away. Watching Lara explore these possibilities is hypnotically beautiful.

Yesterday I was double checking facts and figures for a piece of text relating to the scale of the universe – and although my time is tight at the moment I still find it impossible to rush through this stuff. Any attempt to grasp the scale of inter galactic space needs, well…..space. Even then it is simply an attempt. The basic unit of distance is the light year, which is roughly six trillion miles, and if I’m honest I’m already figuratively speaking brought to my knees by this number. Start talking about billions of light years and the mind just gives up. The sense of awe remains, though, and I know I’ll never get tired of trying to make a little more sense of it all.

At the other end of the spectrum, looking closely at cells, molecules, atoms and the particles that are as small as we can detect at present I find a sense of deep satisfaction in the fact that in terms of scale we sit roughly in the middle. By this I mean that the amount of times bigger the universe is to your body is the same (very roughly!) as the amount of times smaller a particle is. The internal exploration of the body is potentially as endless as an exploration of the whole of space. This gives me pause too, and in a more personal way. Knowledge of the sheer complexity of what it takes to be alive and conscious makes me appreciate living more.

Later today we will be showing a few sections to the marketing teams – and the composer/director James Williams will be coming along too. He’s written us a fiendishly tricky little duet, full of clashes and cannons and a particular harmony poetically (and accurately) called The Devil’s Interval. It’s entirely counter intuitive to the western ear, and the only way to nail it is by painstaking repetition – drilling it in to the memory. It’s immensely satisfying, though, and I did specifically ask him for a challenge.

I’ll let you know how it went next week. Thanks for taking the time to read this – and I hope you get a chance to enjoy the return of the sunshine. Lara and I will continue to keep our noses (most enjoyably!) to the grindstone but I’ll be back here soon.

Caroline.

You can find out more about the show and book tickets here.

Name: Louise

Job title: Bar supervisor

How long have you worked at Chapter? Forever! Since 13th April 2002.

Are the bar staff scared of you? Err no I don’t think so — they think I’m a bit sad with all my lists! I’ve got really good teams, its effortless with good staff.

What’s your fave tipple? Erdinger dunkel or a good bitter, tasty!

Do you like pork scratchings? Secretly yes, but when I think about what they actually are, no.

What’s your favourite thing about working at Chapter? When I get to switch off and be a customer, watch a film or get a drink with my friends, without being harassed about rotas!

What do you get up to outside of Chapter? Websites, design for print, making cards, taking photos, working at Happy Days Home Store in Cowbridge, a sneaky cocktail or two.

Where did your business name AmberCouch come from? I liked the idea of having a colour as our name, we thought of Orange but that was already taken! Many wines later, my partner Rich said ‘I had an Amber Couch at uni’…

Tell us about your gift cards. I make and design cards, lino prints, textiles, art cards, flocked cards, laser cut snowflakes at Christmas! I set up mylittlecardcompany.co.uk last year and it’s going quite well.

Do you have any hidden talents? I have quite a good punch for a little person. I’m also very good at sleeping, does that count?

If money was no object what would you buy? An island to retreat to when life gets too hectic. And a mini convertible and a personal shopper!

Who would you like to play you in a film of your life? Sophie Ellis Bextor or a young Patricia Arquette.

Tell us a secret… Our Bar Manager Dave Morgan has 5 Chihuahuas. aaaah!

Tell us a joke… Two drunks are walking home along the railway tracks. The first drunk says, “There are a hell of a lot of steps here.” The second drunk says, “I’ll tell you what’s worse, this hand rail is too low down“

I worked something out today.  What on first glance appeared to be a be-jewelled highland terrier waiting patiently by an A-frame menu for it’s owner, after a short bark he was rewarded with a meat dish. All these years here and I’ve been reading the DOG menu rather than the HUMAN one, explaining the complete absence of vegetarian options. Maybe it’s the same in Berlin.  I don’t mind telling you I feel pretty silly.

So, what have I missed so far:

Lynne Ramsay’s We Need To Talk About Kevin - reports say it’s fairly true to the book and is ‘earth-shattering/superb/played with hollowed-out magnificence’ – I’d expect nothing less from Ramsay and Tilda Swinton though and if all goes to plan we’ll get to see it at Chapter this autumn.

Unlawful Killing – I narrowly (maybe happily?) missed this post-Diana cover-up doc which is only likely to surface in the UK on the internet due to its required substantial cuts to get certification (87 I believe) – I couldn’t have this as my first Cannes 2011 film. Keith Allen? objective investigative reporter? funded by Al Fayed? Certainly not saying they don’t have a case, but you’ve got to ease yourself in with something easier to watch, like Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur with Peter Mullan yet again providing a hard hitting but vulnerable performance the likes of which Christian Bale can only dream. Literally stunning and almost immediately heartbreaking, Warp Films have yet again played a blinder.

I hope the rest of the festival brings me Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia, Bela Tarr’s The Turin Horse and Almodovar’s La Piel Que Habito (you never know) and maybe A Night to Remember at the Cinema de la Plage as a little treat.

Good luck to the Panic Button boys for their screening on Wednesday, who were working hard at the UK Film Pavillion when I last saw them (aka having a beer in the sunshine ‘networking’ before the bedlam of meetings started for them). I’m sharing a flat few miles out of town in La Bocca with the 2 Adams from Derby Quad and a bed with Cornerhouse’s Rachel (again) it’s like one big, brilliant film, sleepover. Great to be back.

Name: Janek Alexander

Job title: Director

How long have you worked at Chapter? I was an actor with Dek Leverton’s Paupers Carnival and we appeared here in 1976.

What was your first involvement with Chapter? I’d arrived an hour early for a show and was told to come back later. In a typical Chapter moment I bought my ticket and found myself minding the doors and handing out programmes.

What’s your management style? There’s always another way.

We hear you’re standing down in May. Will we still see you around the place? Yes, I will still be around working on projects. I have Parkinson’s, so one project will be a group to explore non-medical aspects of the condition.

What advice will you give to your successor? Never forget to stop and admire the view.

Tell us about a programme highlight of your time here? The Wooster Group in the 1980s were the most radical and exciting theatre group in the world. We brought them to Britain. They toured with a complicated and technically advanced set that was too big for our theatre. God bless them, they sawed the end of the set off and the show went ahead. It was a sensation.

Legend tells us that you’ve performed as a smurf? The Smurf was a satire on the seriousness of Dutch culture. Only it turned out that Smurfs were Belgian, not from Holland after all. So the rest of the commissioned pieces went to the Holland Festival, but the Smurf stayed home.

Tell us about your own artistic credentials. Theatre director, author, performer — projects at ICA London, Mickery Amsterdam, Slovak theatre, LIFT, Seville. Directed three touring productions for Volcano Theatre. Directed for Ed Thomas’ Y Cwmni at Tramway Glasgow. Wrote, directed and performed in twelve projects at Chapter as Diamond Age Theatre Company including street theatre, dramas, comedies, recordings, cabaret. Performed with Paupers Carnival Theatre and Transitions Trust.

Who would you like to play you in a film of your life? I’d choose Rhys Ifans, after seeing him as Peter Cook. He was in Chapter and I interrupted his coffee break to tell him how much I admired his achievement. I was back in my office when it dawned on me that he couldn’t have the foggiest idea who I was.

Tell us a secret… Later this year a CD of a 1984 concert I gave will be available. Listen carefully on headphones and you can hear a robust argument develop in the auditorium on the merits of my performance.

Tell us a joke… “The next train’s gone” (Will Hay)

Name: Abi Lawrence

Job title: Front of House Operations Manager

What are your favourite events to oversee? I love the variety. My favourites are the ones that take over the whole building and create a palpable buzz — the Wedi 7 live broadcast, SŴN, Iris Prize, Oktoberfest, SWICA’s carnival night. Plus, any event with free food is a winner in my book.

Seen anything good at Chapter recently? Black Swan was incredible; I’m going to get a tutu for sure. How hard can ballet be?

Do you have any hidden talents? Baking and gossiping. I’d love to have my own cooking/chat show.

I hear you make cakes on Fridays? Ha! I do like to knock up a sweet treat for the lovely Box Office staff. I test out new recipes on them, sometimes they work and sometimes you get pistachio shell stuck in your throat. They’re dicing with death with every bite.

If money was no object what would you buy? I’d buy a teashop and a farm by the sea. I’d keep pigs and chickens, bake cakes all day and drink cocktails by night. Ideal.

Are you going anywhere nice on your holidays? I went to Morocco for Christmas and saw a few things: street performers, storytellers, goats up trees, squirrels on leads… So, this year I’d like something a little more tranquil. I’d like to go to the South of France, go for bike rides, drink wine and eat cheese all day.

Tell us a secret… I cry at the end of every episode of ‘One Born Every Minute’.

Tell us a joke… What cheese would you use to get a bear out of a tree? Camembert.
What cheese do you use to hide a horse? Mascarpone.
Why did the one legged clown leave the cheese circus? Because he couldn’t get his stilton.
How does a welsh man eat his cheese? Caerphilly