3:40pm Friday 20th August 2010
By Will Gore
Rehearsals are well under way for Our Town, a unique community drama project being by staged by the Rose Theatre.
Two companies of 40 volunteer actors are currently working on a play about the history of the Kingston under the auspices of director Jamie Harper and playwright Ciaran McConville, with performances at the theatre taking place from September 9-11.
The play weaves a narrative that spans across the centuries, exploring important moments in Kingston’s past and resurrecting characters who played vital roles in the development of the town.
Harper says he is delighted with the response from the public, with a wide range of age groups represented in the two companies.
He says: “Our oldest company member is 78 and the youngest is 17 – there is a massive range. With a project like this it can take a while for a buzz to develop, but now that it has it is great. All the participants live, work or study in and around Kingston – some of them have done a bit of acting in their time, including a few who have worked professionally, but others have no experience whatsoever. As we are working in a devised way it means people without much experience can just be themselves. The project is an opportunity for people to bring their own perspectives to bear, so there is less pressure on them to act.”
According to Harper, it is the little-known people and events of Kingston’s past, such as the time the train station was named Kingston upon Railway, that have given the group the best opportunity for creating dramatic and memorable scenes.
He adds: “It has taken a lot of careful editing, because you can’t include every detail from the last 4,000 years of Kingston’s history.”
Our Town is the first community project created specifically for The Rose since it opened in 2008 and Harper says the unique nature of the venue has made it a special experience.
Our Town: A Kingston Story, Rose Theatre, Kingston, September 9-12, rosetheatrekingston.org
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