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This was an odd commission. The brief from
Proteus Theatre Company was to talk to people on an estate in Basingstoke
about the problems they were having with "neighbour issues", and
to write an outdoor play for professional actors based upon the answers.
Which was fine, except that no-one wanted to talk to me. This went on for
some time - I would turn up on weekday mornings, wander around a deserted
shopping precinct, then go home again. Eventually Brendon Burns turned up
at Proteus (he's now at The Haymarket, Basingstoke), and
people evidently wanted to talk to him. Their issues were simple but stressful
- private space, bad design, lack of neighbourly awareness. I wrote a play
which I was convinced wouldn't work, and was astonished when Brendon proved
me completely wrong. Great cast and a wonderful production. It even made
me laugh, and I wasn't in a laughing mood. |