Methods

Every show reflected in the Reminiscence Theatre Archive is different in style and feel, and the writers have developed their own distinctive approaches. However, there are certain key elements to making theatre from memories.

Here we offer a short 10-Step guide based on what we have found effective, illustrated with material from the Reminiscence Archive. We also include a Channel 4 documentary by Television History Workshop from 1986, which demonstrates the process of making a reminiscence theatre piece from beginning to end.

The three filmed interviews with Pam Schweitzer which follow were conducted by Margita Lundman of ATR - The National Swedish Association for Amateur Theatre, a partner organisation in the European Reminiscence Network. They were filmed in Dublin at the 2019 International Conference of the ERN. Between them, they cover many aspects of Reminiscence Theatre as process and product.