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Paines Plough was awarded the Peggy Ramsey Theatre Company of the Year 2002, and with this award commissioned nine inspirational British Playwrights to write on the topic of the English language. The first four of these commissions will be presented at the January-May 05 in partnership with theatres around the country. They will then run for a season of sixteen weeks in the stunningly diverse ‘Chocolate Factory’, Southwark, London. WHISPERS OF BRITAIN is a concurrent outreach project to this season, which aims to create an alternative census of the English language through story. The English language has such diversity and richness, from the way the Vikings influenced the Geordie accent, to Caribbean influence in South London, or the difference between accents of neighbouring streets in Glasgow. English is changing so rapidly we feel we have to investigate and chart its journey at this point in time. To do this, WHISPERS OF BRITAIN will take the format of a traditional journey-based folk story, The Numbskull’s Errand. We have chosen this story as it is rooted in history from all corners of the country - each locality has its own naturally evolved version. The Numbskull’s Errand has the added magic of playing with language right at its core. It is made up of separate verses which will allow us to work all over Britain with groups from all cultures and situations (E.g. Schools from Eton to Moss Side, Police, Community centres, market traders, MPs etc) to create a new story for now. Each group will create a new verse for the story in their own dialect - inspired by their own surroundings. The writers of the commissioned plays will also be involved, hopefully writing some early verses. Each verse will be recorded and added onto the memory bank. The final product will be an epic tale canvassing the entire language of this beautiful country. A celebration of WHISPERS OF BRITAIN will take place involving all groups meeting and performing this modern legend in London and around the nations of Britain. It is hoped to be published in print and spoken word, and we are in discussions with BBC Radio. It will be a historic piece of storytelling that would be preserved forever. What would it involve? A workshop in which we would explore the group's own use of language, in relation to their environment. We would then look at the story that had been created by the previous groups, and find a way to follow it on and thus create the next verse of the tale. The group's verse would be in their own language and dialect and in situations familiar with their lives and environment. It would be recorded and scripted and added onto the memory bank of this epic story, to be exhibited and possibly performed around the country and in London. Hamish Pirie ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Paines Plough 4th Floor, 43 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4DN Tel +44 (0) 20 72404533 Fax +44 (0) 20 72404534 Web www.painesplough.com |
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Thursday, July 1, 2004 |
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