The House
Carran’s Working Diary 6: Discharged
On my last day in the Working House my informant Jenny Hughes visited me. I showed her the results of my labour and she was quite satisfied, thus releasing me for my onward journey. I was discharged from the Working House after four days making the return journey with case […]
Carran’s working diary 5: Day 3 in the Working House
I am the door: by me if any man enter in , he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. (John 10:9) Today the door was locked. After trying the back way which was also locked I heard the voice of a distraught cover porter […]
Carran’s working diary 4: Nana in hospital
One reason for being involved in Jenny’s project is autobiographical. My Nana-in-hospital (that’s what we called her as children) was sent to Tattingstone Workhouse (Samford Union) that became St Mary’s Hospital, to give birth to my mum. Mum must have stayed with her until she was about 2 years old […]
Carran’s working diary 3: From my notebook
The Fortress. The Threshold. The Dark. The Hymn. Writing in a bed due south. Dark night of the soul. Marching. “a turbulent mixture of old peoples’ home, maternity, mental and general hospital, children’s home, school and shelter for the homeless” (Down Poorhouse Lane) Asking for more Twist’s sin. “This is […]
Carran’s working diary 2: Day 2 (but really day 17)
Workhouses, and their subsequent guise as hospitals, kept meticulous records in gorgeous tatty bound ledgers. I have seen two at Touchstones, the Local History Centre in Rochdale and one in the Suffolk Records Office in Ipswich bearing my mum’s birth record and Nana-in-Hospital’s date of admission to Tattingstone Workhouse. Tattingstone […]
Carran’s working diary 1: Genesis of The House (working title)
I am on the threshold of this new piece of work and it’s the first day at my working house which for this week is the John Thaw Studio at Manchester University. Since February this year when Jenny and I had our first meeting for the Poor Theatres Project I […]
Pop up paupers, pathways and pauper mice at the Workhouse, Southwell
Post by Jenny Hughes On Sunday 24th August I went with Carran Waterfield from Triangle Theatre to the Workhouse at Southwell (Nottinghamshire). The workhouse was bought by the National Trust in 1997 and renovated with loving care and no expense spared to a condition as close to the original as possible, opening […]
Introducing ‘The House’
Post by Jenny Hughes I have been working with Carran Waterfield from Triangle Theatre, to begin to develop ideas for a solo piece of performance (to be devised and performed by Carran, with a premiere in October 2015). We’ve provisionally entitled this ‘The House’. The performance will make use of […]