Southmead News & What’s On Issue 76 October 2023 FREE DONATIONS WELCOME
MEADERS TAKE THE OLD VIC BY STORM!
Bristol Old Vic's Orpheus & Eurydice 2023. Main photos credit: Ben Robins
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ho would ever have thought that our group Meadows To Meaders would go from ac�ng on the streets of Southmead to the stage at Bristol Old Vic. In our very first Southmead soap opera in 2017 we worked with the Old Vic and some of them performed with us on Ascot Road. The play was a real success and residents kept asking us when the next one was going to be. We are currently working on wri�ng the scripts for Meadows To Meaders 5 which will be based on more residents’ stories of growing up in Southmead (be�er than Eastenders as the stories are true!) Last year our producer Ruth Myers suggested that we take part in a Greek tragedy which would be performed at Bristol Old Vic. To say that we were
gobsmacked was an understatement. My ini�al thoughts were "no!” because we write our own scripts! A Greek tragedy sounded so far removed from our community plays it was almost unthinkable. But Ruth doesn’t give up that easily and before long we were actually seriously thinking about it. We also learned that Lucy Hunt (the director from the Old Vic) had been determined to get us on stage ever since they came to Southmead in 2017. The play was called “Orpheus & Eurydice” and is all about love. We started rehearsals in Southmead earlier this year and our director was Lisa Gregan who also directed our first play. She was brilliant and very down to earth, and she even let us put a bit of Meader talk in the play! The play had a cast of over 140 con�nued on page 2 >
INSIDE P.3
Winter Celebra�on Week P.4 SEND Support Coffee Morning P.5 Single Parents Fair P.8 Your Wellbeing at the Greenway Centre P.10 This Year’s Panto! P.11 New Street Trees for Southmead P.14 Climate Catch Up & Cuppa P.15 Half Term at The Ranch P.16 Southmead Cooks Up a Storm P.18 Community Info