Introduction

Fifty Years Ago Show: Memories of the 1930s

 1983  and 1987 Productions

 Introduction

This was the first fully funded production by the Age Exchange Theatre Company in June 1983. It was initially produced for the Greenwich Festival and toured initially in local venues with support from the Greater London Council. It was by way of being a pilot production, and its success ensured that future shows would be eligible for further funding. This enabled us to pay the actors and production team at the full Equity rate and to give free performances no admission charges.

‘The Fifty Years Ago Show’ was a group-devised production based on interviews with older people conducted by the company in community venues and sheltered housing units. Slides of local and national events together with popular songs of the period evoked vivid memories, which the company tape-recorded, transcribed and edited. Help The Aged had just produced their ‘Recall’ pack of tapes and slides. This was designed to stimulate group discussion and reminiscence, which was just beginning to be recognised as a valid way of working with older people. We found it to be a helpful starting point, which we could follow up with further visits, including visits to individuals in their own flats to hear stories at greater length. In the course of creating the play, we revisited the venues where we had recorded to show them how we were working through improvisation with their memories and to be sure of the authenticity of what we played.

The period of the early 1930s was chosen as our focus because of the striking similarities between those years of the Depression and the times we were then passing through. In 1933 and 1983, three million were unemployed.

The people we interviewed were mostly in their 80s and 90s and would be unlikely to write their memories. Increasingly we felt that these memories should be preserved, and accordingly produced a book of their photos and stories. This was given out at performances, like an expanded programme, ensuring that the stories lasted beyond the performances and remained with those who had participated in the process. They were also a valuable source of material for use in venues where we performed but had not recorded. The stories were included anonymously as, at that time, people were not sure about putting their own names into print. Later books produced by the company did attribute the stories to the individuals who had told them, with their agreement.

The black and white pictures are of the first production in 1983. The company were Tom Austin, Dianne Hancock, John Patrick Deery, Anna Philpott and Barry Wilmore, with Pam Schweitzer directing and producing.

In 1987, the show was brought back with a new  cast: Jeremy Brown, Madeleine Cemm, Tegolin Knowland, Chris Downing and Barry Wilmore, with John Patrick Deery directing and Rob Luxton designing. The colour slides in the gallery are of this 2^nd production.