Making friends

I didn’t know what to expect when I went took up the invitation to see Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company’s latest show, Scarlet Ribbons, designed to tour to day centres and residential homes for the elderly. But down at the OTTC base in Meadow Lane, Oxford, I was entranced by this simple yet beautiful one-hour show telling the story of an unlikely friendship between the widowed Dorothy and 15-year-old PJ, who meet when he breaks into her house. The third character in the play is the late Nat King Cole, Dorothy‘s favourite singer, who in her imagination lives under her stairs, coming out to sing or give advice to her from time to time. It’s a charming device and one that has widened the appeal of the show even further for this particular audience. The performance of Duane Gooden as Nat King Cole is wonderful. He has an amazing singing voice and really conveys Cole’s gentleness of manner and tone. It is no wonder that the crooner has always managed to soothe Dorothy in times of anxiety throughout her sometimes very hard life. The play is a sympathetic look at the problems of both the young and the elderly. PJ, a very convincing performance by Michael Lyle, has real troubles – his mother has died and he is being bullied at school. The reason why he breaks into Dorothy’s house is because terrifying bullies are trying to extort money from him. Played movingly but with great vitality by Cerianne Roberts, Dorothy herself is isolated, has mobility problems and feels very unempowered. She chafes at the assumption that everyone else knows what is best for her and no one respects what she wants.

The key example in the play is her desire for a particular malt whisky which reminds her of her girlhood in Scotland. The doctor has banned all alcohol as it will “do her harm”. Her wisely witty riposte: “But will not having it make me any better?” The script is peppered with lively humour which presents the serious matters it deals with very undidacticly. It is over the matter of the whisky that the two become conspirators. Dorothy blackmails PJ into obtaining some for her – illegally – he is only 15. Bending the rules creates a bond between them which becomes very valuable to both. It is a gripping and heartwarming story, which brought a little tear to my eye at the end but maybe that was from the wonderful rendition at the finale of the whole cast singing Dorothy’s favourite childhood song – Scarlet Ribbons.

The play is part of an intergenerational project which also brought older people into schools for workshops with the youngsters that explored the issues raised. Breaking down barriers between the generations has been the aim of this project and it’s succeeded admirably.

Other new directions may well lie ahead for the company as it has recently appointed a new artistic director, Karen Simpson. Coming to this post from the Creative Development Programme for Sheffield Theatres, where she was responsible for directing Adult and Young People's Education programmes for the Crucible and Lyceum Theatres, it sounds as if she will be right at home with the OTTC. Her experience is substantial, having commissioned and directed over 50 new productions for theatres, schools, village halls and parks. It will be fun to see what theatrical riches she will deliver up to our communities.

Karen seems to be enjoying the experience so far.

“The county is beautiful and the people so friendly,” said Karen. “I have been taking time to go out and talk to people. I can see why projects such as the Falling Sky (OTTC’s play about rural life drawn from real-life interviews with ordinary folk) are so successful. The stories are all there in the people. It would be great to do something verbatim again.”

When I asked her what lured her to the OTTC she said: “I wanted the opportunity to shape the company’s future. It’s so different from being in a big organisation.” She added passionately: “I believe in taking theatre to the people – to as many as possible, whatever their age.’ Karen's first project with OTTC is their winter show, Hansel and Gretel, written by Mike Kenny. “It’s going really well,” she told me. “I’ve had some fantastic meetings with the design team. People are going to be delighted with the transformation of their village halls. Mike is working hard on the script. I can’t wait to get going on it.”

Exciting times lie ahead for the company. They are building steadily on success after success but never forgetting their fundamental mission to take innovative high-quality theatre to the heart of our communities. For further information on the OTTC’s productions visit www.ottc.org.co.uk