Lifting the Weight
Lifting the Weight is an interactive performance which tracks two characters through the first year after their release from a custodial sentence.
The performance is structured as a "game". It focuses on five areas of life: Survive, Family, Work, Authority and Free Time. The characters must negotiate their way through difficult situations in each area. As they achieve this successfully, they collect "tokens" with which they build a barrier against the likelihood of returning to prison.
Masks are worn to represent the "front" shown to the world and can be lifted to explore underlying thoughts and feelings. The audience is constantly invited to guide the characters through the dilemmas that they encounter and the performers then improvise with their suggestions. The outcome for the central characters is in the audience’s hands.
"I thought it extraordinary that the cast seemed to embrace the issues and empathise with the audience so sensitively: engaging them in thought-provoking issues. Nothing but positive feedback. The characters/performers were 'alive' and 'real'. The activity was conducted at the right pace."
Carol Burke, Education Manager, HMP Askham Grange
"Staff felt that the company demonstrated a professional, responsible and insightful approach, showing a balance between entertainment and interactive understandable education."
Avril Gilliam-Hill, Oasis Rehabilitation Unit HMP/YOI Rochester
"All feedback was very positive. The officers in attendance were equally as 'pro' the production, which is a great achievement."
Governor A Paton, HMP/YOI Norwich
|
