Time & Again Theatre Company Uncategorized

Save Time & Again Theatre Company after Devestating Fire

Time & Again have launched a GoFundMe page which is urgently seeking donations to ensure we can continue as a company and deliver our shows this summer. You can find the campaign here!

In the early hours of Saturday 26th February 2022, the storage unit which housed the entirety of Time & Again Theatre Company’s set, props, costume and equipment burnt down.

As most people are well aware, theatre was one of the hardest hit industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, all of our performances were cancelled, including our tours to rural communities across the UK who don’t have easy access to theatre. After working on an audio drama adaptation to sustain our output during lockdown, we had just returned to live performance in August 2021 with an 80’s fuelled performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Carrs Park, Wilmslow.

We are due to be touring A Midsummer Night’s Dream once more across the North West this summer, as well as brand new shows Much Ado About Nothing and new writing piece Earwig. We now have nothing: no props, no set, no costumes, no sound and lighting equipment.

Not only have we lost all of our expensive technical equipment but with our focus upon telling historical stories, we had amassed a carefully curated selection of vintage and painstakingly custom-built set pieces and props since our formation in 2017 – now all gone. We’ve also lost countless vintage costume pieces sourced from vintage shops, online and from personal collections. All of these items are difficult to replace and we are devastated. So much of the theatre company’s inventory will take a great deal of time to rebuild from the ashes.

Company founder and director Laura Crow says: ‘I think I’m in shock. This is 5 years worth of work and memories which we have spent countless hours designing, painting and making. I’m absolutely gutted. I’d like to confirm all of this year’s shows are going ahead, we’re not going anywhere, but we are going to need to remake, rebuy and refind everything. Like the characters in our 1940’s play Greyhounds we will be digging into our Wartime spirit and trying to keep calm and carry on, but any support would be hugely appreciated’.

Time & Again Theatre Company Edinburgh Diary

What I’ve Learnt About Society’s Views on Women From Walking Round Edinburgh Fringe Dressed as a Suffragette

What I’ve learnt about society’s views on women from walking round Edinburgh Fringe dressed as a suffragette.

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Firstly, I feel incredibly proud to wear my sash. It’s a constant reminder of the real women who – however controversial – fought for a very basic right; that women should have an equal voice and say as men. They were determined, brave, unwavering, and consistently belittled, beaten, arrested, mocked and shamed for simply wanting to give women a voice.

Whilst we’re not facing a fraction of the hatred heaped upon our Edwardian sisters, we are still getting heckled, called out and challenged every single day. Just yesterday we had:

“Ridiculous!”

“No, no, no, no, no. Dreadful idea!”

“Bloody socialists!”

“That’s worked out well!”

Some of these comments are dressed up as wit, some less so, but there’s an uneasiness behind each negative reaction. In 2019 people still find the concept of women needing to fight for their rights as just a little bit of a joke. Don’t be silly love. You’ve no need to go on about any of that any more.

Our male cast members, particularly, come in for a lot of curiosity, incredulity and scrutiny. Fair enough, a group of women might parade around as silly suffragettes but surely a man can’t be standing there holding a ‘deeds not words’ banner?

“Men can’t be suffragettes, can they?”

“Don’t you mean, votes for men?”

This is a pervading attitude, one that seems to think that only women can support the rights of women, only women should have an interest in feminism. And this is a big problem. If people only care about issues that 100% directly effect themselves, it doesn’t leave much scope for creating a better world.

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On the flip side, we’re getting a huge positive reaction from young women and girls (and a wonderful young father with his baby daughter). You can see visible excitement pass their faces as we stalk past with our sashes and banners.

“Yassssss!”

“Votes for women!”

The image of these militant freedom fighters resonates hugely with them. But why? It’s been over 100 years since Emmeline Pankhurst and co. chained themselves to the railings and threw bricks through windows. You could argue that suffragettes are no longer relevant. But perhaps, just perhaps, that struggle to have your voice heard still rings true for many women today.

In the arts world, there is a huge lack of female writers, producers, and directors getting their work made and recognised. Though, not for a want of willing and able candidates.

Even here at Fringe, according to The Stage, men earn 60% more than women. (https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2019/men-earned-60-more-than-women-at-last-years-edinburgh-fringe-study-claims/)

This year the #womenoffringe group have been truly excellent, offering support and a platform for the women coming up to Edinburgh. But the fact remains, that it’s still sadly necessary to have a specific group supporting women. Our voices still get lost, talked over, patronized.

So pardon me if we continue “engaging in unedifying conversations about the suffragette movement.” There’s still a long way to go.

As Emmeline said:

“I incite this meeting to rebellion!”

And that’s my call to you. Support female theatre, support female writers. Listen to what we say and recognise that there’s still plenty we have to fight for. Because, if the reaction to our costumes is anything to go by, wanting equal rights is still an act of rebellion!

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