Strangers Slough Lizzie Checking in!

Hi all,

Lizzie here! The Slough Sarah and Peri.

With tears in me oyes and a song in me harrt (cheesy) as I scroll through the amazing images, words and sentiments shared by you all on the project.

It's wonderful to hear so many stories from everyone that are not just the creative ideas but about how Strangers is making friends of us all. I have met some great people doing this and can't wait to SKYPE again. Sorry it's taken so long to get on here. (Head hanging in shame but its a long and complicated story that will be boring on here).

I'm totally inspired by what you have achieved creatively in Wales and NZ and am so full of admiration for the Slough Strangers group too, of course. We'll be blogging much more from now on. Won't we guys?!

Your songs, rehearsed improvs, your stories and monologues are all ticking away in our heads and hearts and helping to shape what we're creating in Slough.

We have a suitcase! An obsessive donut eater; a 347 yr old scrapyard guardian who talks in riddles; love, loss, betrayal and hope. And a couple of cantankerous old people you don't know whether to love or loathe. Our story is simple. Set in a scrapyard (Slough, part finished, part not, a real mixed bag of cultures, languages, crazy architecture, a bit ugly in places with a reputation for being depressing but with a villagey community feel mixed with London suburb shabbiness thrown in for good measure.) All who enter trhe Scrapyard must at some point cross paths with Mr Scillar the ancient yardy. He will help or hinder (he reps the Heart of Slough). All characters are running from or looking for something. Our main Character, John, is looking for his lost identity, he will find this through finding his family. We follow him on his twisting and turning journey, meeting lots of colourful characters along the way, some with suitcases and some without, sometimes in the cinema and sometimes on the high street. Essentially telling the story of Slough through these characters.

We've got rehearsal later on today and I'd love to weave in some of the ideas such as the neighbours bickering, the sounds of the langauge through the game:fruit/country, the reggae beats popular in NZ (in Slough the group tends to be a bit RnB and hiphop or Lemon Jelly hippy tunes when under duress from me), the stylised movement sequences that NZ did for the arts festival.

I've included here a short scene by Inderjit that I think is lovely and poignant.

Mr Scillar may be portrayed by a huge shadow puppet with prerecorded big voice and then he'll have a normal size and a miniature representation as well. (perhaps?? was our last thinking wasn't it Adrian, designer?)Some background to Scillar: he cannot leave his job as guardian until someone else volunteers to take over. Rosalina has arrived from Poland but is down on her luck and wishes to find a way home. Through the story she eventually comes to realise that home is where the heart is and that Slough can give her what she needs.


Script Idea by Indy
Rosalina and Mr Silla

(Mr Silla enters stage left, is walking his dog and at the same time Rosalina, enters stage right, is dragging her suitcase along and crying. They crash into each other)

Mr Silla :( Shouting) WATCH OUT!!!
Rosalina: (crying) So sorry!
Mr Silla: Oh dear, I’m sorry! Why were you in such a rush, anyway, it’s not safe at this time of night for a young lady to be running along the streets alone!
Rosalina: I’m fine (Sits down on bench)
Mr Silla :( sits next to her) It’s alright! Has someone hurt you?
(Rosalina sighs, then nods)
Rosalina :( Sings softly in polish)
Mr Silla: Such a pretty voice! (Sighs) Now are you ok?
Rosalina: (looks up and nods)
Mr Silla: Whenever I feel bad I look at my dog! (Points at his dog)
Rosalina: (looks at the dog, she starts to smile)
Mr Silla: As long has he’s smilin, I’m smilin! I‘ve been here so many years! He’s the one thing that’s kept me going, that and knowin that whatever I need is right here! My home.
Rosalina: (stares at him) you no feel like you no at home, sometimes?
Mr Silla: I do sometimes, but dreams take their time as do most good things

(Rosalina considers this and then stands up, Mr Silla gets up with her and they walk off the stage)

More later,

Peace and Love