Catherine Cookson’s The
Cinder Path
Workshop
19th April 2015.
I
was invited to a workshop based around the latest draft of South Shields author Catherine
Cookson’s The Cinder Path by Gareth
Hunter of Ion Productions. Gareth has been producing high quality shows in South Tyneside for 10 years. He had
recently brought Cookson’s The Fifteen
Streets to South Shield’s Customs House. From the success of that show the
stage adaptation of her 1978 book The
Cinder Path will be making its world premiere at The Customs House in
September 2015.
With
it being the hundredth anniversary of World War 1, it is fitting that The Cinder Path is the show which has
been chosen to be produced this year as it shows how men who had a tough
farming background were to head off to war and fight in the trenches.
Whilst
Cookson is a very popular author, who still regularly features in the charts
for the most borrowed author from libraries, she has a reputation for
portraying the males in her books in a fairly negative light. The challenge for any stage show will be to
retain the strong female characters and make the audience engage with the men.
A scan of reviews online for The Cinder
Path often refer to a dislike, by the readers of her book, of either the
nasty or the weak male characters.
This
brought us to the very ornate surroundings of the Chapel at the Mission to Seafarers in Mill Dam
to see the product of the day’s workshop involving a talented group of actors.
Working script in hand and without props they brought the first part of the script
alive.
The
story began with a farmer issuing orders to his staff and castigating the lad
from the workhouse who was told to go to the cinder path in order to be
punished. Very quickly the father is seen as a very strict disciplinarian as he
ignores the pleas of his son to not see the cruel act take place. The strong
caring female roles are, likewise, quickly established too.
Stories
of royal families linking together, through the marriage of offspring, in order
to strengthen alliances is mirrored by the desire of the owners of the two
neighbouring farms to see their children marry. A funeral and a birthday party
later and Cookson’s story looks at relationships within families and by
employees.
The
workshop performances finished with the sacking of an employee who knows a dark
secret of his master. It will be interesting in September to return to the full
story and find out what happens next. My initial fears about not engaging with
the male parts had not come to light. I hope that the son is seen to have some
backbone though in the full story. The female roles have the trademark Cookson
strength of character. The script and direction had a quick pace. The use of
the same actors for multiple roles wasn’t a problem. I’m intrigued to find out
how they will bring the key scenes to the stage.
The
drama has some interesting interplay between its characters and there are some
clear challenges ahead to bring the full production to the stage. I have never
considered myself to be a fan of wor Kate’s books, I have never had the desire
to read one nor have I watched the dramas on TV, and yet I am looking forward
to seeing the full finished production of The
Cinder Path.
This
review was written by Stephen Oliver for Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com).
Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo
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