Details

Raising Voices, a festival of new writing, invites writers of all cultures and backgrounds to submit a new play for the Watermill which, celebrates the diversity of the English language and the visual and emotional dynamics of live theatre. Started by Jill Fraser in 2003, RAISING VOICES will see a short list of plays performed in staged readings by professional actors over 3 days at the theatre. One Plus Infinity (Mon) - Dyslexic young singer Isla is in crisis, in her life and relationship, following her diagnosis with melanoma. At the Rosemberg Clinic she meets a fellow sufferer, Jack. Jack also has Asperger's syndrome and is a brilliant student at Cambridge. As time flicks backwards we discover a touching, funny and life affirming love story with great resonance. The Road to Port of Barry (Tue) - Described by one of our readers as 'Gavin and Stacey with a gun' this Pinteresque farce set in a caravan is a shot of comedy and metaphysical whisky. Planting David (Tue) - A village hall drama in a teacup in which small talk and flower beds hold a deadly secret. When Cheryl turns up to help her fellow ladies with a bit of strategic weeding in the village hall flower bed she brings with her a shocking revelation. Nearer to Shakespeare (Wed) - When Conrad Milner, the local randy bachelor, decides to settle down, he sparks a series of revelations and recollections spanning the last twenty-odd years. A drama of great breadth charting the lives and loves of a group of professional friends, their history and their hopes.

Creatives/Company

Author(s): Jimmy Brown (One Plus Infinity), Christopher J Orton (The Road to Port of Barry), Robert Gould (The Road to Port of Barry), Laura Ellen Major (Planting David), Jane Brough (Nearer to Shakespeare)
Director(s): Eve Leigh (One Plus Infinity), Jamie Harper (The Road to Port of Barry), Jamie Harper (Planting David), Derek Bond (Nearer to Shakespeare)