Narratives of Nostalgia

To deal with the notion of absence I investigated the idea of what was no longer there. I grew up in Rise Park and many of the local 'landmarks' have been knocked down. Mobile phone masts go up. Shops change names. The church is fenced off. Surgeries move. The car park is always empty. As the list grew the group became involved in remembering. An act of reminiscence. There are moments with the group where it begins to feel more like a devised piece. The final text includes their contributions and ad lib responses. As we workshopped the text the reminiscences became toasts e.g. To the big slide with the cage at the top. This fused with the back catalogue - another narrative of nostalgia. These are perhaps anchorage points for an audience. Appealing to their communal memory of their community. Pricking their communal conscience. This was an act of communion.

GMOB: [To BM 1] Hello. What an interesting dress.

FOB: Tesco in Top Valley

GMOB: Did you make it yourself? It looks like you did.

BD 1: The bride got them made for us

GMOB: I made my bridesmaids dresses out of sackcloth and string.

BD 2: Your granddaughter

GMOB: It was the war so we had to make ends meet.

MOB: Grandways

GMOB: None of your ends meet

BD 1: Her mother measured us

GMOB: Your seam’s not straight.

BD 2: Your daughter

GMOB: The zip’s a zig zag

BD 1: Her grandmother made them

GMOB: The hem’s hamfisted.

BD 1 / BD 2: You

MOG: Big D

GMOB: [changing subject] Do you know where the toilets are?

BM 1: The surgery on Blantyre Avenue.

MOB: Mother, Tony’s trying to speak

BD 1: The dentists on Portree Drive.

GMOB: Well don’t let me stop him

BD 2: The tall slide with the cage at the top

BD 1 / BD 2: At the end of the corridor on the left

FOB: Nothing is left of her childhood.

GMOB: Jansys

MOB: Oh yes. They did fantastic knitting wool.

FOB: Shops close down. Mobile phone masts go up.