“History Revealed” 17th October
2003
Report by Samantha Andrews. Photographs by Mark Atherton.
A celebration of the history of Axbridge was held last weekend.
A variety of events took place which gave residents and visitors the chance to get an insight into the rich past of the medieval Somerset town.
A special craft market was also held in the Town Square, selling items made from everything from willow to silk.
The JB Players from the town's Baptist church performed an improvised play on the church steps about the setting up of the first church school in the town in 1850. Meanwhile, the Clarendon Players, a recorder ensemble, donned authentic costumes to entertain the crowds with period music.
Over 400 people visited the King John Hunting Lodge and the archives kept in the Town Hall were also available for people to look at.
Members of Axbridge Community Theatre performed 'Rattle His Bones – scenes from Axbridge workhouse', a play written by Annabel Hackney & Harry Mottram based on a book by Pat Hase.
A cast of 21 people of all ages performed two sell-out shows in the Town Hall.
©2003 Weston & Somerset Mercury (permission granted to reproduce)
Report by Samantha Andrews. Photographs by Mark Atherton.
A celebration of the history of Axbridge was held last weekend.
A variety of events took place which gave residents and visitors the chance to get an insight into the rich past of the medieval Somerset town.
A special craft market was also held in the Town Square, selling items made from everything from willow to silk.
The JB Players from the town's Baptist church performed an improvised play on the church steps about the setting up of the first church school in the town in 1850. Meanwhile, the Clarendon Players, a recorder ensemble, donned authentic costumes to entertain the crowds with period music.
Over 400 people visited the King John Hunting Lodge and the archives kept in the Town Hall were also available for people to look at.
Members of Axbridge Community Theatre performed 'Rattle His Bones – scenes from Axbridge workhouse', a play written by Annabel Hackney & Harry Mottram based on a book by Pat Hase.
A cast of 21 people of all ages performed two sell-out shows in the Town Hall.
©2003 Weston & Somerset Mercury (permission granted to reproduce)
Cheddar Valley Gazette “Skilful
script in workhouse production” October 16th 2003
Report by Oliver Hulme.
The words Axbridge Community Theatre can strike cold dread into the hearts of theatregoers and reviewers alike.
Fortunately for the people of Axbridge, their community theatre is an organisation that is a cut above the rest, as revealed by their latest production, Rattle his Bones.
The play is a series of seven short scenes telling stories of those who lived in Axbridge Union Workhouse from 1878-1937.
A skilfully-crafted script, a collaboration between director John Bailey, Annabel Hackney & Harry Mottram, merged slapstick, melodrama and pathos in equal measure. Two splendid scenes, featuring a corpse who refused to stay in his coffin, brought the house down.
The everyday life and attitudes of those who lived and worked in workhouse were portrayed with sympathy but without patronising those they represented.
We got a wonderfully over-the-top performance from Peter Harding, James McKay and Harry Mottram in a sequence about wood chopping, and one of the best theatrical death scenes I have seen in a long time from Diane Lukins as a consumptive washerwoman.
The photograph scene was superbly done, producing exactly the right measure of pomposity from the workhouse managers and the combined feigned deference and lack of respect from the inmates.
But by far and away the most affecting performance was the final scene set in the men's rest room in 1937.
With two spelndid performances from David Parkin and James McKay, Annabel Hackney managed to really get under the skin of the characters.
Among community theatre scriptwriters there is a tendency to generalise and patronise about times past. Annabel managed to avoid this with no little skill.
One of the recurring themes throughout the play had been references to the smell of the workhouse.
The description “The smell of working for 15 hours and having no money to do the laundry” is one that will have struck a chord with anyone who has found themselves doing a hideous job just to feed themselves and their family.
Rattle His Bones deserves a much wider audience – not least among any drama students dazzled by the bright lights and filled with enthusiasm and arrogance.
The should see what can be done with four spotlights, a CD walkman and a cast of talanted and enthusiastic amateurs.
Report by Oliver Hulme.
The words Axbridge Community Theatre can strike cold dread into the hearts of theatregoers and reviewers alike.
Fortunately for the people of Axbridge, their community theatre is an organisation that is a cut above the rest, as revealed by their latest production, Rattle his Bones.
The play is a series of seven short scenes telling stories of those who lived in Axbridge Union Workhouse from 1878-1937.
A skilfully-crafted script, a collaboration between director John Bailey, Annabel Hackney & Harry Mottram, merged slapstick, melodrama and pathos in equal measure. Two splendid scenes, featuring a corpse who refused to stay in his coffin, brought the house down.
The everyday life and attitudes of those who lived and worked in workhouse were portrayed with sympathy but without patronising those they represented.
We got a wonderfully over-the-top performance from Peter Harding, James McKay and Harry Mottram in a sequence about wood chopping, and one of the best theatrical death scenes I have seen in a long time from Diane Lukins as a consumptive washerwoman.
The photograph scene was superbly done, producing exactly the right measure of pomposity from the workhouse managers and the combined feigned deference and lack of respect from the inmates.
But by far and away the most affecting performance was the final scene set in the men's rest room in 1937.
With two spelndid performances from David Parkin and James McKay, Annabel Hackney managed to really get under the skin of the characters.
Among community theatre scriptwriters there is a tendency to generalise and patronise about times past. Annabel managed to avoid this with no little skill.
One of the recurring themes throughout the play had been references to the smell of the workhouse.
The description “The smell of working for 15 hours and having no money to do the laundry” is one that will have struck a chord with anyone who has found themselves doing a hideous job just to feed themselves and their family.
Rattle His Bones deserves a much wider audience – not least among any drama students dazzled by the bright lights and filled with enthusiasm and arrogance.
The should see what can be done with four spotlights, a CD walkman and a cast of talanted and enthusiastic amateurs.
Reproduced with permission from the Cheddar Valley Gazette