Huge congratulations to everyone involved in the performance of After Time, which took place on Sunday 8th November as part of Headlong Theatre’s Signal Fires project. Signal Fires was dreamed up by Headlong with the intention of uniting the UK’s leading touring theatre companies, inspired by one of the original forms of theatre – an evening of storytelling around a fire.
The Kestrel team put their heads together back in September to think how we could take part, as Covid restrictions meant we couldn’t get back inside prisons as usual. So we embarked on a first for Kestrel – creating a project with Kestrel alumnae who had been recently released and were adjusting to life on the outside. Kestrel Associate Artist Simon Longman set to writing four ten minute monologues, in some cases loosely and in others directly inspired by conversations with the four actors about their experiences since release.
The intention was to perform outdoors in promenade at the beautiful Asthall Manor with each actor stationed around a roaring fire, accompanied by live music as the winter sun went down. In an unfortunate case of timing… national lockdown was announced just a few days before. So in an experience all too familiar to anyone who has attempted to organise a live arts event in 2020, we adjusted and moved onto everyone’s favourite video conferencing platform.
Despite the disappointment about what had been lost in the inability to perform in person, there ended up being unexpected and magical positives to the Zoom performance. Firstly, it was far more inclusive. We were able to open up our audience pool to a wider network of invited guests – at one point the audience reached over 100! Secondly, there was a more intangible magic created by the intimacy of the camera which meant the performers (both musicians and actors) really shone. As Simon said afterwards, for a medium that has the potential to be so cold, it felt very special that it was able to conjure such warmth. We were all incredibly proud.
Watch this space as this won’t be the last you see of After Time…
Eleanor Henderson – Associate Artist
Thanks El. Here is some of the feedback from the event
FEEDBACK FOR AFTER TIME – 8 NOVEMBER 2020 ON ZOOM
The Live chat
18:16:18 From Mary’s iPhone : well done everyone !Hi Christina! it’s Mary Dowson .
18:16:28 From Holly Race Roughan : CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!
18:16:39 From Holly Race Roughan : Extraordinary work you lot <3
18:16:42 From Anna Lowe : Amazing. So so good. Thank you!
18:16:43 From Milly’s iPadPro : superb , thank you everyone
18:16:44 From Barney White : Fantastic!! Well done everyone xxx
18:16:46 From Mary’s iPhone : thanks Katy ! lovely singing!
18:16:50 From Rosie Chapman : Brilliant – thank you!
18:16:52 From Steven : THANK YOU FOR ALL COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
18:16:56 From clivejudd : Brilliant, brilliant work! Congratulations to you all! x
18:16:58 From Milly’s iPadPro : hooray for Arabella xxxxxxxx
18:17:03 From Angela Kinloch : Amazing – keep on keeping on guys xx
18:17:03 From Sean Chadwick : Incredible performances! Thanks for the invite Steven!
18:17:03 From Rob Rogers : Brilliant so good!!!
18:17:08 From Arabella Warner : amazing. wonderful stories, brilliantly told
18:17:13 From Peter Watson : Brilliant – moving and engrossing. well done everyone Anne and Pete
18:17:14 From Michelle Lewis : 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
18:17:14 From hugow : Such an original format. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for the stories and wonderful music.
18:17:15 From Emily : Incredible work! Thankyou
18:17:16 From Selina : very heartfelt. thank you everyone for raising awareness of life after prison 🙏🏽
18:17:17 From Yasmin Sidhwa : Well done Everyone – lovely stories!
18:17:18 From Alastair Henderson AoMRC : brilliant well done all
18:17:21 From Alison : Well doe
18:17:23 From Rebecca L Greene : Bravo all!!!!
18:17:25 From Alison : ne
18:17:26 From simonbooker : superb! well done everyone!
18:17:37 From Rosie Pearson : Fantastic – look forward to seeing you here at Asthall in the spring
18:17:41 From Penny Boreham : fantastic
18:17:43 From Peter Watson : brilliant well done everyone. Anne and Pete.
18:17:52 From Holly Race Roughan : BLOODY INCREDIBLE
18:17:54 From Amanda Harris : congratulations! well done!
18:17:57 From Alun Mountford : Marvellous! A really great performance
18:40:31 From Kevin Daniel Cahill : “To play a ‘wrong’ note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”
Wonderful performance of After Time. Brilliantly done and moving Congratulations to all concerned. Look forward to hopefully seeing it again in the flesh at some point.
Alastair and Cathy
Fantastic – fireworks of congratulations. We loved the way the stories tied together and loved the beautiful interludes. The boys done good.
Gina and john
Absolutely incredible performances in After Time, fantastic fantastic work! We both shed a tear.
Roz and Nick
"Thank you for such a moving evening. Such beautiful and powerful storytellers. "
Peter and Emma
Signal Fires was a fabulous way to spend a Sunday afternoon. A great job done by everyone involved. Thank you."
Denise and Chris
I loved your performances this evening. I just want to encourage ALL of the performers, your monologues were heartfelt and I particularly liked the 'baked bean fire'! Keep on keeping on.
Angela Kinloch
Beautifully written pieces – great that they all featured childhood and grandparents! And so well acted.
Sue Mathews
Liked the stories, Burger King and candles, very touching about his nan and heartfelt, the swing was funny and sad and the vulnerability of the actor was almost tangible. Steve’s a good actor, very believable, and that last story about the boy and his father incredibly touching and beautifully performed. Bravo!
Marcus Clarke
Congratulations to all concerned for yesterday's fabulous online show. I loved the writing and the performances. And the overall production was so professional.
Pete Watson
Tina and I loved the show…great little stories and lovely music, but most of all real guts from the cast, it can’t have been easy for any of them.
I realised we’d seen Katy Daghorn in Peter Pan goes wrong…she’s a real talent (although my Mum felt the whole thing would have been better if it hadn’t gone wrong)
Jon Platt
That was the best thing I have seen or heard this year. We are totally overwhelmed. Seeing those men up there reading those stories.. well it moved me to tears.
I wrote down two lines I felt were particularly moving – ‘I’m OK most of the time’ and ‘You can’t buy feeling safe’. Oscars for everyone
Juli Beattie
“The future is fireworks……colour in the darkness” wonderful work from the incredible @KestrelTheatre this evening. So inspiring to see the great art people are still able to create during lockdown.
Minnie Birch
Really impressed with the Kestrel Theatre digital performance this evening, beautiful writing and performances. I was honoured to attend
Rebecca Greene
Great to hear the brilliantly written and performed monologues around a virtual campfire this evening
Simon Booker
Thought I would write and say thank you for Sunday night's performance of After Time. It was very powerful, creative and enjoyable. I found that I connected with each story and was moved by the telling of them. Please pass on my congratulations to each of the performers.
Rob Rogers
Absolutely wonderful work last night. Not just the feat of getting it
all, seamlessly, on Zoom, but the words, and performances were
mesmerising. Powerful. Moving. Memorable.
Judith P
Wow. Wonderful guys. Fantastic presentation. Thank you for the invitation and event. It was an eye opener.
Congratulations.
Clare Coull
Without this theatre company, I would still be incarcerated. After almost twenty-one years inside Her Majesty Prison’s, while in a resettlement prison at the end of a really long sentence, I was a broken man with no clear pathway towards the light. Then I met the guys. Arabella (Lady Kestrel), Jason and El took me in like an abandoned puppy. My life has never been the same since. I would do anything for this company they gave me a platform to express myself and after my release, have continuously enabled me to climb the mountains in front of me, supporting me and being an ever-present force full of consideration, thoughtfulness and love. I LOVE KESTREL.
Does anyone have any information on the 4 stories told. I am a 6th form student who is really intrigued in your work with the criminal justice system and would love to find out more about this piece. Thank you