So it’s all over. It was extreme amounts of fun and I have to thank the following people:
Stanley Walton
Nicole Ryan
Michael Keir
Dennis O’Connell-Baker
Suzy Duxbury
Rosemarie Partridge
Keith Davey
Chris Norton-Walker
Beverley Keech
Neil Fox
Amber Townsend
Sue Townsend
Carolyn Ryden
Roger Walton
Phil Littler
Matt Farman
Eamonn Keane
Hilary Davies
Margaret Baker
Joel Baillie-Lane
Tina Swain
Either these people were in it, directed it, were the jury members, filmed/photographed it, asked me to write it or played a part in making the day go swiftly.
Special amounts of Katie love going to you. When I’ve got some photos/filmlings then I’ll share the good times.
For ‘Regina V Cooper‘ you understand. And already I am already chin deep tying up the ends of another commission. But I thought I’d provide a delayed brief response to the one rehearsal I’ve been to. Y’know, the first one.
Rehearsals underway…
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[And when I say "underestimated the actors" what I actually mean is that they did my work justice without me having to interject all the time and 'got' the script from the word go. Please send no hate mail, because if I'm honest I don't have time to open it.]
I jest, it was my attempt at a pun to do with costumes… Please don’t judge me for that.
Performance times have been confirmed:
Regina V Cooper [2010]
Written by Katie McCullough for STARTS
St. Albans Old Town Hall, St. Peters Street, St. Albans, AL3 5DJ
Saturday 18th September
The traditional courtroom will be open to the public as part of THE BIG PROJECT, a day of local creative happenings around each part of the town hall. There will be two performances on the day lasting 25mins:
12:30pm
and
3:30pm
And in other rooms there will be film screenings, art exhibitions, music, art classes and performance poetry.
THE PLAY The courtroom will be open for the public to sit in the gallery as requested by the local council. This case will garner much attention from the press due to the horrific nature of the details and the ripples it has had on the local community. Called forward to testify will be the neighbour, the expert witness and the arresting officer. All to prove that the defendant is guilty of multiple murder.
“Rebecca Cooper stands in the dock on trial for the murders of eighteen gastropod molluscs – slugs. The defence is pursuing partial insanity and the prosecution is applying for thrill killing. You are charged that on the night of 16th September at Cell Barnes Lane, St. Albans, you murdered eighteen victims. How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?”
A court case with peculiar undertones condensed to 25 minutes including the verdict. This tense case will make you question your own morals and more importantly your own innocence. One woman pushed to the brink due to redundancies and insomnia and childhood memories that resurface in this tragicomic telling of one woman’s retribution on the garden slug. In this court of law murder is murder, no matter what creature you are.
THE PLAYWRIGHT This site specific play written by local Katie McCullough was commissioned by STARTS. Katie is a graduate of Bournemouth Media School and the Royal Court Theatre, London. Her mentors have included established playwrights and poets – Leo Butler, Polly Clark, Fraser Grace and Simon Stephens. She’s received readings at the ICA and Theatre Royal Stratford East and been granted Arvon funding. She took part in the Vauxhall 48Hr Film Challenge as part of the Branchage Film Festival, Jersey by scriptwriting the winning film ‘Morning Mist’ and is also Theatrix’s playwright-in-residence. Katie has a short story featured in the ‘Even More Tonto Short Stories’ anthology which was released in book shops August 2010. Her website is www.katiemccullough.co.uk
