Ed and the Hat

“Ed and the Hat” is the first official production of the Sligo Drama Circle’s Young People’s Theatre group. It takes place on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th December 2005 at the Factory Performance Space at 8pm. It is a one-act play, created by the cast through improvisation and, while the shape and certain movements are fixed, much of the actual performance too will be improvised. While not a long piece, performance time is estimated at between 35 and 45 minutes, it is fascinating to watch young people work in such a committed way in an ensemble production. The starting point was an exploration of some of the themes and issues raised in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and while this production is certainly not Macbeth, those who know the play will see and hopefully enjoy the connections.

The Young People’s Theatre group has a cast of ten, there were no auditions, and over the past eight weeks we have worked on creating a company that spark off each other, accepting and exploring each other’s suggestions, as well as developing acting skills. In the last two weeks we have met more frequently, shaping the performance piece and rehearsing it. Wile the play has roles: Ed, Ed’s wife, he Cleaners, the Chorus, we prefer not to think of main parts or lead actors, rather a collective company who have created this play, with each member being key to the whole.