The Story of Elizabeth Fry: Quaker Prison Reformer
The production had been in the making for four years. Starting with Alec Davidson's initial research and writing, there was two years of liaison with the Yearly Meeting Arrangements Committee and composing music, fundraising, recruiting the production team.
On 21st July fifty-two people gathered from various corners of the world to get acquainted, read the play, and begin the rehearsal process. The talented and capable company, many of whom came from outside the Society of Friends spent ten very enjoyable days working together in intensive rehearsal to perfect this original musical.
After the performances the play is available to Quaker schools, colleges and Youth Theatre companies around the UK and US for possible future productions.
Simon Best reports on the project:
The Quaker Youth Theatre is about far more than just putting on a play, and throughout the rehearsals and preparation for Elizabeth of Newgate there was a sense of purpose, of the whole project as an act of faith by the whole company. The performances were a form of ministry, the Leaveners contribution to Yearly Meeting. I felt this especially when we joined the rest of Yearly Meeting for the final celebration. Elizabeth of Newgate itself is far more than a play, aside from telling a story it made a social statement and was a call to act.
During the first week of rehearsals we were visited by Quakers involved in the penal system as prison visitors, Quaker prison ministers, probation workers and prison governors. These speakers told us about their experience of the prison system and of current problems in the criminal justice system, the need for reform and possible alternative approaches to criminal justice. These sessions also provoked much debate amongst the company.
The other special aspect of QYT is the real and tangible Quaker community that is formed during the project. Through living, working, laughing, relaxing and performing together, we came together as a community and were able to cope with trying times and unforeseen difficulties.
Leaveners' projects, as well as raising the creative spirit amongst Friends are also great outreach with many of the company coming from outside the Society of Friends. Not only were there a number of participants for who QYT was their first contact with Quakerism but a number of non-Quaker theatre professionals also volunteered and gave their time and experience for nothing showing the high standing that the Leaveners has amongst theatre professionals. It was also a great coup for QYT to have a professional director for this project, Chris Barton, who had travelled to Moscow with the Leaveners over a decade ago and returned to direct Elizabeth of Newgate. This was only possible because of substantial sponsorship from Friends Provident.
This was a play that was at turns difficult, moving and challenging to perform. I hope that in our performances we were able to move and challenge the audiences and by doing so to highlight the issues presented in the play. There was a real sense of the production as an 'ensemble piece' that the whole company; cast, crew, production team and support staff, were part of and made a very real contribution to.
Some words that QYTers used to express their time in Exeter:
Laughing, Screaming, Meeting, Epilogue, Happy, Sad, Frustrating, Exciting, Scary, Amazing, Brilliant, New Friends, Old Friends, Dog Diggy Dog Dog Dog, Men In Dresses, Water Fights, Sun Shine, Rain, Marthas Story Voice, Snogging, Flirting, Couples, Sweating, Costumes, Singing, Dancing, The two-by-two, The Theatre, The Food, Learning Lines, Badgers, Speakers, Unbelievable brilliant, Hooray, wicked, amazing, glorius, spiffing, superduperpuperscuper, fantastical, magic, laughs, crys, Sunshine, Hugging, Daily Bulletin, Hysteria, Chris' version of the 1st ballad and Oh Betsy, Sweat, Heat, Hot, Tech crew, Clarinet Reeds, FANTABULOUS!
