was first performed in August 2019 in Baltonsborough, near Glastonbury in Somerset.
For several years Sue has worked with a group of actors called The Baltonsborough Players who come from the village and the surrounding areas. Normally the Players perform in pantomimes and productions based on local history. Physical Theatre was a completely new genre for them. Pepe has specialised in directing Physical Theatre and he spent every day for two weeks improvising and rehearsing with The Baltonsborough Players before the first performance.
Staging
The play was written so that it could be performed in a small studio space with no props or scenery. If possible, some images projected onto a white wall or backcloth could help illustrate the scenes.
Cast
There are only two named characters in the play, ANIKA and her MUM. Any number of actors can perform in this play by dividing up the roles of the CHORUS, TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND CHILDREN.
Improvisation
Improvisation is a vital part of this production and in many scenes the words spoken by TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND CHILDREN are just a guideline to improvised movement and words. These scenes can be developed by discussion, group work and theatre games.
Much of the dialogue between ANIKA and her MUM is taken from real life and therefore it is important to keep the honesty of these scenes and not to change the dialogue. This is a true story told by a young person and we wish to respect their experiences.
The written language in the script is fairly simple and basic given the fact that children may be performing it. However, it is up to the discretion of the director as how many swear words are used.
Music
The music for this first production was written specifically for it and performed live. Music can be used where indicated.