Free For All in Sunderland

As we approach the end of the school term (next week is our last before the Summer hols!) - we arrive in Sunderland - the most northerly of our Free For All venues. 

The week started with children from a local Primary School doing workshops and a performance in one day, and culminated with young people from a local Secondary School rehearsing on the Thursday, and performing on Friday to an afternoon audience.

The story of Mbe the greedy tortoise went down particularly well with the younger ones, and the Secondary pupils excelled in focus and passion after being strongly challenged by Dan in several scenes.  It seems harder for the older pupils to leave themselves off-stage, and bring their characters on-stage!

The hour-long performance, supported by our team of actors, held the audience through laughter and tears as they came with us on the journey of the slaves, 200 years ago.  Janet, year 8, took on the part of Susannah who was captured from West Africa, and taken to London.  She escapes the clutches of the English Captain, but only to be recaptured later in life.  Eventually the law changes in England, and she is free to return to Africa.