THE drama of the devastating 2007 floods will be played out to audiences of eight at a time — in a caravan.
About 25 flood victims, including one Witney couple named only as Susan and Jonathan, were interviewed for the documentary theatre performance The Caravan.
It will be shown in a caravan in Wood Green, Witney, next week as part of the Playhouse Plays Out series.
The play, featuring four actors each playing three characters, will re-enact several of those interviews word for word, alongside visual and audio footage shown inside the caravan.
Director Ben Freedman said: “The company travelled around the UK speaking to people affected by the floods and a lot of the people we found were living in caravans, so that was why we decided to restage those interviews in a caravan.”
Throughout their research, Mr Freedman and co-director Mimi Poskitt recorded 24 hours worth of footage.
More than 2,100 people in Oxfordshire were affected by the July 2007 floods, with the worst-hit living in West Oxfordshire.
Miss Poskitt said Susan and Jonathan’s story was similar to many others they found.
She said: “The riverside burst its bank and they were flooded so they were living out of their homes for four to five months.”
Since the play was first launched at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it has been performed more than 300 times, each time within a caravan.
Mr Freedman said: “It is a very intimate experience because you are sitting with the actors and they are addressing you directly.”
Actors Brett Johal, Rachel Dale, Sanchia McCormack and Davies Palmer will retell the tales of 12 people affected by the floods with five performances a day on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday next week.
Tickets cost £10 from 01865 305305 or through the website oxfordplayhouse.com
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