A show based on the lives of a drama group's parents and grandparents gears up for an international performance.
The Make Do and Mend show, conceived by Sarah Kemp, joint director of Hexham theatre company Théâtre Sans Frontières, in collaboration with the Queen’s Hall Adult Drama group, will perform in Humshaugh and Heddon on October 12 and 13 before heading to Amsterdam on October 20.
The production echoes stories of joy, hope and resilience from the early 1950s, shadowing a post-World War II Britain.
The Queen’s Hall group, a community drama ensemble consisting predominantly of older people residing in the Tyne Valley, has based the show on the experiences of their forebears.
Sarah Kemp said: "This is a community drama group comprising mainly older people living in the Tyne Valley.
"The show is based on stories of the lives of the group members' parents and grandparents as young people, in the early 1950s, rebuilding Britain following the aftermath of the 2nd world war. Stories of joy, hope and resilience."
During the pandemic, this Hexham community partnered with a drama assembly in Amsterdam via Zoom.
They shared cultural experiences and created a film, named An Uncertain World, drawing parallels between the liberation era of the 1960s and the Covid pandemic.
In May 2022, a cultural exchange saw the Dutch group making a visit to Hexham, engaging in drama workshops and performing at the Queen’s Hall.
Ms Kemp added: "We are very excited about this return visit, to meet our creative friends again, share in cultural activities in Amsterdam and have the opportunity to perform to Dutch audiences".
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