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Sarah Balkwill, director of our June production Cheshire Cats, explains why the play is so special to her.
I have directed many plays with students and adults during my long-ago university days and current teaching career, but this is the first play I have directed for the Progressive Players. I have been a contented crew member in a few productions since joining in 2022 but was hoping for a chance to use my theatrical experience to lead a production. When I learned that Cheshire Cats had been selected as one of our plays for summer 2024, I immediately submitted a detailed proposal and was delighted to be given the opportunity to lead fellow members in the production. This is the play I had been waiting for!
Cheshire Cats is about friendship, camaraderie, honesty, understanding and love. The main characters (Hilary, Siobhan, Vicky, Yvonne, Andrew and Maggie) all have their own personal reasons for taking part in the MoonWalk which entails intense training sessions, a train ride from Chester and an eventful half-marathon fund-raising walk in London.
The play is beautifully written using comedy, pathos and including a range of theatrical techniques. As the director, I have striven to incorporate stylised elements by developing a mobile set which I believe enhances the simple design suggested in the script notes. The lighting and sound perfectly complement the simplicity of the staging. I was keen to direct a company of actors and crew members whose suggestions and contributions, both on and behind the stage, have been warmly welcomed and developed. I am proud of the production being collaborative and a true team effort.
As a breast cancer survivor, I have completed four MoonWalks in both London and Scotland. Raising much needed funds and awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer is vital. Supporting the Walk the Walk charity by sharing Gail Young’s funny and touching story is the perfect vehicle to do this whilst entertaining our patrons and the wider public audiences.
The Cheshire Cats team hope that you will come and see the play. We hope that you will laugh with us, cry with us and perhaps feel suitably prompted to show your appreciation by making a small donation to our fundraising page at walkthewalk/sarahbalkwill2024.
Sarah Balkwill
Cheshire Cats
by Gail Young
3 to 8 June 2024 at The Little Theatre Gateshead.
Audience members attending the show will be invited to consider making a voluntary donation to Walk the Walk, the charity associated with The MoonWalk challenge, in aid of research into treatment for breast cancer.