Unseen and forgotten - In debt and in jail in York

These Walls By Rebecca Manley
York Castle Museum, Thu 15 – Sat 17 March

These Walls by Rebecca Manley is a new play that brings to life the history of the Debtors’ Prison at York Castle Museum and the people who lived, worked and died there.

The play will be performed by York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre 14-16s in and around the prison from 15 – 17 March.

It focuses on the female voice and explores the women who lived, worked and were incarcerated there. These lesser-known and less notorious stories create the backbone of the narrative.

An ensemble cast will lead the audience through the prison, animating the spaces, giving breath to the stories that are held in the fabric of these old walls.

As they move through time and location, the audience is invited to take part as witness, onlooker, gallows mob, new inmate and gaoler’s guest, invited in (for a fee) to drink with notorious felon Dick Turpin.

These Walls looks again at the people behind the broadsheet headlines, the characters within the lines of the gallows ballads and gives voice for the first time to some of the unheard, unseen, forgotten.

Julian Ollive, one of the directors, said:

“Through meeting these characters up close, we begin to question assumptions about criminality, about who imposes judgment and about the nature of punishment.

And as we do, our attention is drawn to how we think about crime in contemporary Britain, how we understand the whys and hows of criminality, and the contingencies and contexts of justice"

Sarah Yates, assistant curator of social history learning (informal) at York Castle Museum, said:

“We are delighted to be working with such a talented team to create a play that immerses you in the history of the museum’s authentic and atmospheric cells.

The young actors give a voice to the people who spent time in these dark, claustrophobic places and in doing so offer the museum a fantastic and dynamic way to bring history to life for new audiences.”

Three separate 14 – 16 York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre groups are performing one night each. Directors are Julian Ollive, Paula Clark and Matthew Harper-Hardcastle.

Performances on 15, 16 and 17 March are at 6.30pm and 8.30pm. Performances take place partly outside, so audiences are advised to dress for all weathers.

Rebecca Manley is under commission at West Yorkshire Playhouse and has been commissioned three times by National Youth Theatre with productions at the Lowry in Salford, Latitude Festival, Soho Theatre and the Arcola.

She has written two plays for SMASHfest, a STEM arts festival for young people at the Albany theatre. She was a member of the Royal Court Writers group in 2015.

She teaches for a number of organisations, including working with women in prisons and secure settings for Clean Break company.

Rebecca is also an actor with recent roles in Philip K Dick’s Electric Dreams for Channel 4, This is England 86, 88 and 90, The Selfish Giant and BBC1’s The Moorside.

Tickets £8 adult, £6 children
Box office 01904 623568

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