Last week myself and Natalie Quatermass were in Sheffield
all week being mentored by Third Angel.
Me and Nat are Vandal Factory Theatre Company and, after our first show
last year, are developing a new play called English Dirt
A line from our last show kept buzzing around our brains.
“Who owns the roof
that you live and eat and work beneath
Is it fear of
starvation that makes you believe what you believe?”
This has led us down an English country road of
land-ownership, which naturally leads us to question the enclosure laws, power dynamics,
nationhood, borders, the State and identity.
With the constant question of sovereignty and Britishness being dragged
into discussions across Parliament, the media and pubs our show, English Dirt,
set about exploring this theme.
The last year has seen us cover floors with Big Sheets Of
Paper and read articles, books and zines around our topics. It feels like we started this conversation
back in 1066, but we’re finally making progress.
I’ve interacted with Third Angel a few times over the
years, once at a workshop at York Theatre Royal, speaking at their conference a
few years back and generally seeing their productions. Their co-Artistic Director Alex is a superb
mentor who helped us whittle away at some ideas, find connecting themes and
narratives and gave us support to find the next stages of our route.
We also worked with band Flora Greysteel, a joyous
duo. We felt our history of land laws
should relate to the history of British protest, and Simon and Emily are dazzling
in their ability to take the slither of a song or attitude and transform it
into spectacular music seemingly in seconds.
I think this last week has taught me a lot about shifting
through ideas. We kept referring to the
idea the statue is inside the block of clay already, the sculptor’s job is to
excavate it. We are finding out show,
piece by piece, among this vast and important history and story. If we are wandering down a road, we have
thrown away some of the baggage, but also seen new sights along the way.
We also managed to see Standing At The Sky’s Edge at
Sheffield Theatre, a show with similar themes about ownership, class and identity
in modern Britain.
I wanted to document this week and say thanks to Third
Angel and Sheffield Theatres, a big warm hug-filled thanks to Flora Greysteel
and my collaborator Natalie Quatermass.
I am excited for the next stage of English Dirt’s muddy road!
