    S.H.C. has been commissioned by the SHROPSHIRE OLYMPIAN FESTIVAL to produce some Victorian characters and vignettes for the Festival – on June 17th, 18th and 19th 2011. The Festival takes place in the Quarry, Shrewsbury, which will be the focus for a large number of participatory events and attractions.
The festival is a celebration of the 1864 Shropshire Olympian Festival, held in the Quarry, which grew out of the pioneering Olympian Games, started by William Penny Brookes in nearby Much Wenlock and went on to inspire the Olympics we recognise today. It will be a free festival, made possible by funding from the Heritage Lottery and the Arts Council.
We need Victorian walkabout characters and scenes in the Quarry on all three days and some Alice in Wonderland figures as part of the magical Illuminations on SATURDAY night 18th June, when the park will be ‘festooned with arches, moresques, lozenges, balloons and lanterns…the like of which was never before seen in Shrewsbury’ (Shrewsbury Chronicle 1864). We are aiming for dramatic vignettes of Victorian life – such as a Temperance meeting, an escapade of pick pocketing, a lovers’ quarrel, a local scandal. These scenes will ‘waylay’ the spectators of the Festival as they move about the Quarry park. Performers will receive direction, rehearsals, costume and props.
If you would just like to dress up in Victorian costume and be a part of the crowd on any or all of the days, we would also like to hear from you.
Apart from the 2 days of performance, there will be five rehearsals in Shrewsbury on Monday evenings in May/June and a run through in the Quarry.
The welcome meeting was in the Morris Hall, Bellstone, Shrewsbury on Wednesday March 30th, which was well attended. But we are still looking for more people, so please contact us if you would like to take part. Please include all the family and any interested friends – there is no fee, no audition and all ages/abilities are welcome. There will be a part for everyone, as we will create the scenes according to the actors we have.
NEXT MEETING IS ON MONDAY MAY 9th 7pm THE HIVE, BELMONT, SHREWSBURY. Children finish 8.30pm, adults 9pm.
For more information
Andrew Bannerman
andrew@andrewbannerman.co.uk
Tel: 01743 351624 |
