 |
The Digger's Daughter
|
|
A new play based on the Digger Colony set up by Gerrad
Winstanley on St George’s Hill, Weybridge |
| River
Barn, Walton on Thames Surrey Wed 28 to Sat 31 July 2010
at 8pm Also Sat Matinee at 2.30pm. |
|
Is Life Very Much Different Being a Daughter
on St George’s Hill in the 16th Century Compared to 21st
Century Living?
|
| The Fast and Loose Theatre Company has
commissioned a play specifically for the people of
Surrey, set on St George’s Hill in the 17th and 21st
Centuries. |
| Part comedy, part ghost tale, part
coming-of age story, part political epic, The Digger’s
Daughter tells the story of England’s first experiment
in socialist life. |
| The play is based on the Digger Colony
set up on St George’s Hill by Gerrard Winstanley two
months after the execution of Charles I. |
Winstanley and a small group of
educated, idealistic Puritan families came
from the
North of England to farm unused common land, contending
that the land belonged to the people. |
| The main focus of the story is the
relationship between two young girls – one from 1649 and
the other from 2010, using ‘flashbacks’ to travel from
one time zone to another. |
| Has our relationship with our parents
changed significantly over 350 years? Teenagers still
rebel against authority and want to explore new ways of
living. Parents still want a better life for themselves
and their children. |
|
| The Digger’s
Daughter is part of the Riverhouse Theatre Festival |
| When: The play runs
from Wednesday 28th July to Saturday 31st July at 8pm
each night. There is a Saturday Matinee at 2.30pm. |
Where:
Riverhouse Barn, Manor Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
KT12 2PF
|
| Tickets: £13 (£12
concessions) |
| Box Office: 01932 253
354 please mention all about Weybridge website |
|
More About The Play and The
Diggers Of St George's Hill
|
| Jonathan Kemp (playwright and director)
says, “The dramatic irony is that the richest estate in
Europe was the site of the very first communist colony.”
|
| Indeed, Winstanley is commemorated on a
memorial in the Alexandrovsky Gardens, off Red Square in
Moscow, as one of the great early revolutionaries and
political thinkers. |
| Cromwell sent his leading general -
Fairfax to throw the Digger Colony off St George’s Hill
but he wouldn’t do it. Why did this great general not
take any action at all against the Diggers? |
| Winstanley aimed to build Utopia on St
George’s Hill and then later on common land in Cobham.
Local historian,David Taylor says,“It is so important to
bring back Winstanley to local people.” |
| Come and find out about an extraordinary
local man who not only had a huge impact in Surrey but
world wide. |
|
| About The Fast
and Loose Theatre Company |
Fast and Loose is an established Theatre
Company based at the Riverhouse
Arts Centre in
Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, providing local people with
stimulating and exciting theatre. The Company actively
seeks out newly- graduated actors, singers, dancers,
writers and musicians in order to give them the
opportunity to progress in their profession. |
| They use professional technicians to
train and work with youngsters from local schools in
lighting, sound and stage management. Through their
productions and school workshops, Fast & Loose aims to
encourage both young people and adults to develop their
talents and grow in self-esteem and confidence. |
| Telephone: Celia Andrews on 01932 226
458 (please mention all about Weybridge website)
or email
celiaandrews@yahoo.co.uk |
|
| About The Writer of The Digger's
Daughter |
Jonathan Kemp is an actor, writer,
director and teacher. He has acted at the
Royal
National Theatre, in the West End and starred in BBC
dramas. He is the
founder and Artistic Director of
the European Arts Company and has toured all
over
England and Europe. |
| As well as directing original plays Lady
Windermere’s Fan he has adapted well-known stories,
including Jekyll and Hyde and The Picture of Dorian
Gray. He teaches at universities and drama schools and
has even taught at the British Museum. |
|
| About
Local Historian Dr David Taylor |
Dr David Taylor is a local historian,
writer and founder member of the Esher
Society - the
group instrumental in restoring Painshill Park. He is an
archivist,
researcher and author. He has an MA from
Roehampton University and was
recently awarded a
doctorate. His speciality is Gerrard Winstanley and the
Diggers. |
For further information contact The Company’s Artistic
Director:
Celia Andrews on 01932 226 458 (please
mention all about Weybridge website) or email
celiaandrews@yahoo.co.uk |
