THIRTY-five people involved in a multi-location production of the Greek myth, The Odyssey, will give their performances in Trowbridge Town Hall next month.
The community cast have been rehearsing The Four Winds since last July in a unique collaboration between Trowbridge Town Hall Trust and the National Theatre in London.
Opening at the end of March, the National Theatre’s production of The Odyssey is in rehearsal in Trowbridge and in Doncaster, London, Stoke on Trent and Sunderland.
The Trowbridge cast will perform The Four Winds on Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, at 2.30pm and 6.30pm on both days.
The group is made up of 35 locals, representing the highest number of participants from any one of the partners involved in the production.
They represent a broad cross-section of the community and include seven members with special needs.
Eleven of the group will be chosen by the National Theatre to appear in its own full-scale musical production of The Odyssey, featuring 140 cast members, on its Olivier Stage from August 26- 28.
One company member said: “It's more than just a play. There's a significance on building a real crew, not just a fictional one.”
Journeying alongside the productions will be a 10-metre-long ship, known as The Galley, crafted from sustainable materials, including bamboo.
The Galley represents Odysseus' epic voyage and the nationwide connection between the communities who will tell the story.
The Galley will journey across the country alongside the productions and collect messages of remembrance from local communities.
It will be on public display in Trowbridge Town Park on Saturday, April 22 prior to the first performance of The Four Winds.
Visitors to The Galley will have the opportunity of tying their own personal message to its hull before it sets off to Sunderland. Later in the year, all the messages gathered from the four regional locations will be exhibited by the National Theatre.
The epic production is being created using scores of community members and professional artists from across the country.
Through this landmark project, the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus are reimagined for today as a universal story of resilience, loss, healing, and hope.
The production is a joyful celebration of the national community marking the fifth anniversary of Public Acts, the NT’s nationwide programme to create extraordinary acts of theatre and community.
Director of Public Acts Emily Lim, playwright and lyricist Chris Bush, who will write the final episode, are leading the creative team for the project.
Chris is also acting as dramaturg for the first four episodes in collaboration with playwrights from across the country, and music composer Jim Fortune who will compose music for the final episode.
Chris said: "I can't think of a better way to celebrate five years of Public Acts than with this truly national project, assembling our own mini pantheon of world-class writers from up and down the country.
“It's been a joy and a privilege to help weave this epic story together, and I can't wait for our final episode at the National Theatre this summer."
The final production will feature community performers from all four nationwide companies, as well as members recruited through Public Acts founding community partners in London, founding theatre partner Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and Trybe House Theatre in London who are working with Public Acts for the first time this year.
Public Acts is supported by Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring Fund, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The CareTech Charitable Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Mosawi Foundation and The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust.
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