Girl In The Window: 2010

A Live Theatrical Experiment

Part of www.theatrestore.org.uk

(Friday the 17th September – 48 St Peters Street, Derby… Formally La Senza)

Girl in the Window: 2010 is a live theatrical experiment building on Sustained Magic’s past work and collective production skills.

The experiment is to try and find a way of presenting a ghost story in order to excite and entertain an audience. Sustained Magic intends to draw on a wealth of possible staging options and ask the audience to connect with us and give us ideas and feedback.

Ideas we will explore involve traditional techniques employed by writers throughout time, through to modern day projection. The aim of this experiment is explore and evaluate the potential reactions our audiences have when presented with the inexplicable. There will be opportunities for the audience to participate on the day as well as afterwards via Facebook and www.sustainedmagic.com.

The story of the ‘Girl in the Window’ is based on events reported throughout the 20^th Century in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.  A family run toyshop on the Bath Street was the location of one of the town’s famous spooky happenings. During one cold winter in the last century, the owner Kent and his wife were running a Christmas club, allowing customers to save throughout the year for gifts. This had happened for many Christmases before and all seemed normal, until one Saturday when what transpired changed the way the shop worked and then eventually causing the family to move…

This story formed part of the promenade performances run by Sustained Magic in partnership with Erewash Borough Council and Erewash Museum. The Girl at the Window story was one of 20 tales gathered from events reported in the local paper between 1850 and 2002, so some were very recent, adding to the atmosphere of the performance.

That same Promenade Performance spawned another production by Sustained Magic. In 2009, the company adapted another ghost story to form the pre-show performance around the tunnels of the Guildhall in Derby. Hawthorn was possibly the most well-known of the Ilkeston tales and was performed as curtain warmer to Derby Lives ‘Shinning City’.

This time, Sustained Magic’s ‘Girl In the Window’ is working as part of a massive collaborative effort amongst Derby’s Theatre community. The Theatre Store on St Peters Street is an ideal place to come along and see what Sustained Magic and others do as part of their work and demonstrates the cultural worth of live theatre to the people of Derby.

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Sustained Magic’s ‘Girl in the Window’ was born out of another project, but still holds true to the original belief – Theatre can happen anywhere. The original promenade performance was put together to take theatre to the public – it was performed in cellars, pubs, graveyards and streets. The second emanation, Hawthorn set the mood for ‘Shining City’ by taking the audience beneath Derby City, again playing with the environment to excite the audience. ‘Girl in the Window’ takes another step to draw audiences by experimenting with a shop on a busy street asking people to come in and experiment with theatre.

Theatre store is a very exciting project to be part of as it brings together Derby’s theatrical community, sharing skills and knowledge and more over speaking directly to the audience.

Matt Green

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‘Girl in the Window 2010’ is the evolution of a project I have been involved with since the start over 4 years ago and it keeps going from strength to strength. I’m thrilled to be preforming in such an accessible location. There’s no excuse for the people of Derby to not come along and have a look. I can’t wait to see how these ghosts turn out, its going to be fun (and hopefully not a little bit scary).

This whole Theatre Store event a collaboration with some of Derby’s most exciting professional theatre companies and dedicated amateurs, banding us together which brings theatre to the streets of our town centre; two objectives which are close to my heart.”

Ed Kennedy

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The best thing about the ‘Girl in the Window’ concept is the connection to our audience.  Since the beginning I have enjoyed working closely with the audience, hearing their stories and receiving their input.  It is impossible to hide things from the audience when they are so up close and personal and this is what makes the stories fresh, unpredictable and exciting!

Bringing an updated version of ‘Girl in the Window’ to Derby City Centre is an exciting prospect!  We have no idea if it will work, what will go right (and wrong) and more importantly how the audience will receive it.  The Theatre Store event will answer these questions and I am sure as a company we will learn a great deal along the way!

James Glazebrook

Rehearsal Photos…

Theatre in Wonderland

Sustained Magic have been out and about (as you may have seen from Rhiannon’s blog).

This week Derby Theatre has treated us to two performances, Educating Rita and Alice in Wonderland.

I have to say, its very good to see quality theatre back on at the stage I got hooked on performing back, when I was in the Youth and Community Theatre’s.

On Tuesday Rhiannon and I went to see the University of Derby & Buxton Opera House’s production of Educating Rita by Willy Russell on the main stage of Derby Theatre staring George Telfer as Frank and Cara Nolan as Rita. Cara and I worked together a while ago for Epilogue Productions so it was great to see her giving us a great Rita.

Then on Friday Rhiannon and I were back at Derby Theatre to see Uncontained Arts’s open dress of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll before it heads up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a months run staring Steph Bartle, Adam Howell and (once again) Cara Nolan. While Cara played Alice the other two actors played the rest of the characters to great effect. If your heading up to the Fringe this year I really recommend Alice in Wonderland, (more info here…) Its a great show for the family, there’s lots of audience participation, kids (and grown-ups) will love it.

And thats not to forget Maison Foo‘s show, Memoirs of a Biscuit Tin which Rhiannon told you about a few days ago. Also so so worth going to see.

All round a very entertaining couple of trips to the theatre.

Ed

Theatre In and Around Derby

Over the last two weeks I have had the pleasure of experiencing some fine, original plays performed by three of Derby’s Independent Theatre companies.

First was Maison Foo with “Memoires of a Biscuit Tin” which played to a full house at Nottingham Lakeside Theatre. This touching piece opens with the premise that in a “lost, lost street there is a lost, lost house” and goes on to explore the theme of loss through the eyes of the house which has misplaced its owner.  A fantastically visual story with some stunning imagery and infused with Maison Foo’s distinctive style.  If you are heading up to Edinburgh Fringe Festival this Summer I would highly recommend going to see this as you won’t be disappointed.

Back in Derby I was privileged to be among the first audience members at the Waterfall Theatre (formally the old Railway Institute). For the past two weeks Lostboys Productions have been performing and fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Society and to restore the Building to its former glory. This beautiful theatre was last in use some 40 years ago and it was fantastic to see actors treading the boards there again!

My first visit took me “Around the World in 80 Plays” which was pure light-hearted entertainment crammed with theatrical references. The Lostboys light up the stage with their humour and wit…  it really is a show with something for everyone!

Supporting them in their effort s was 1623 Theatre Company with a one-off performance of “Ellen Terry” which celebrated her life and work and lent itself nicely to the space.  The subject matter and the theatre complemented each other greatly and gave a real feel of days gone by. It was interesting to see a play reflecting on the past in a theatre which was last used so long ago. It made the whole experience very theatrically poignant.

All in all it’s an exciting time for independent theatre in Derby and I for one am proud to be a part of it!