Permanent Pasts

Youth take over in District 13...

When the District Rep is part of an adult group premiering a short play by Sarah Osborne as part of the YTYT 30th Birthday celebrations the stage is set for a role reversal with YTYT members Fred Firth and Bella Miller taking over responsibility for writing the Show Report.  Many thanks to Fred and Bella for sharing their views in such eloquent fashion.

Show Report by Fred Firth

Permanent Pasts is a play whose beating heart is the sense of community at its centre. Both with characters who have known each other a long while and those who have only just met, the relationships between everyone are immediately present, and while not every character likes everyone else, their community binds them together to support and help one another.

The setup of the characters choosing to stay in the pub rather than brave the torrential rain outside gets them all talking about themselves and their pasts – which, as the play’s title suggests, are permanent parts of their lives that remain with them constantly. Their guilt and regret over their past decisions hangs over them, and their stories are developed in a natural, intriguing way. Each character has their own moments focused on them that not only further our understanding of that character, but of all the others from their reactions.

The actors all gave convincing, natural performances that made them feel heart-warmingly human, each with their own nuances that kept us invested in their pasts as they were revealed.

A standout moment was when the character of Chip discovered she was the granddaughter of Lyndsey. The heartfelt moment of realisation that Chip had found some family when her relationship with her partner was straining was very touching. Throughout the play, there was a contrast between Chip reflecting on her futures whilst the rest reflected on their pasts. Each had secrets or tales they didn’t want told, but in telling them strengthened each other and encouraged them to move forwards to their future instead of dwelling on things they could not change.

The stern, yet inviting, pub owner Sandra delivered an excellent performance as someone who can bring a community together with honesty and generosity. Witnessing how open she was to her customers and how she cared about everyone, especially Chip, was wholesome.
Chip contrasted the rest of the characters, being the youngest of them all. She effectively portrayed the turmoil of the character, and it was clear that she was struggling with the decision of leaving her partner and home.

The character of Joyce was content with her present but troubled by her past, and it was interesting to see how she was always withholding information about her past, specifically concerning a brief relationship with another character, Craig.
Craig was a withdrawn individual, and it was enjoyable to watch him open up overtime. His actor did a fantastic job showing the journey from isolation to feeling encouraged to contact his children.

Lyndsey, who had given up on her writing dreams early on, appeared weary and judgemental. Her distrust of men became clear over the course of the play and her actress communicated the character’s feelings towards everybody else with a rich performance.
Mary, her cleaner, was an awkward character who shined in moments of comedy that were well-balanced with the more serious moments. Her presence brought a light to the play, and the unease between her and Lyndsey created entertaining tension.

Sadie, a former actress, was hilarious as a character thriving on gossip and stories, a very familiar kind of person. In pensive moments, she masked her regret with smiles and delivered a lively performance when talking to others about wishing she could live her youth again.

The script by Sarah Osborne was poignant and reflective, creating such a tight-knit community dynamic in the microcosm of the pub. Every actor brilliantly utilised these lines with depth and wit. The sound, operated by Ash Howick, served to show, in brief interludes during scene changes, the passing of time, in which bonds became stronger.

Overall, the whole cast and crew crafted a play full of heart and thoughtfulness with contributions from them all clear in the piece. It was a joy to watch these characters and delve into their Permanent Pasts.

Show Report by Bella Miller

Yew Tree Youth (young at heart) Adults recently performed their new piece of theatre created and directed by Sarah Osborne; a thought-provoking contemporary play centred around a rainy evening in rural pub in Yorkshire.  Permanent Pasts, at a surface level, covers the interesting and complex lives of a group of people, all connected by their happening to be at the same place at the same time.  On a deeper level, the plot navigates tricky relationship dynamics bridging to wider social contexts of a collective fear of disappointment which could be perpetuated in society for the present audience. Overall, this play explores grief, disappointment, shared goals, fear of unacceptance and perseverance all cleverly cloaked in comedy.

To set the scene, this play opens with pub owner Sandra and bar maid Chip conversing over the lack of visitors to the pub, to which Chip is told to go home early, however stays so as not to disappoint her potentially controlling partner. One by one the characters enter, all collectively joining through the bad weather and lack of signal making them completely unreachable to outside communication or distraction. It seems here that there is some deeper meaning behind the meeting and that it may be revealed further on.

As we get to know each character it becomes clear that they are all connected in some way, presenting how at first, a group of naive individuals who may have never crossed paths, are so alike in many ways. We are introduced to Mary, a jolly, inquisitive 45-year-old: Joyce, creative, widowed yet has some past secrets: Lyndsey, an office manager who was a teenage mum, her fear of disappointing her family consumes her: Sadie: a retired performer who thrives off thinking of the life she could have had, her mum has dementia and Craig who separated from his family and longs for a reconnection. Each character was interestingly crafted to have a struggle that they could reside in each other about and it is prevalent that they all truly show an interest in the problems they face.

The character development and plot twists made this play captivating, it is revealed that Mary had been stealing from Lyndsey when cleaning her house, a job that she did not need due to her winning the lottery, as well as Chip the bar maid having connections with Lyndsey, who has a grandchild she knew nothing about. The unwinding of these crossing of paths ends in an empowering conversation between all the characters who decide that they have more in common than they thought yet were all so invested in their own lives and, of course, the internet that it became difficult to appreciate the world around them, something which they all now were able to truly value.

This talented group of actors brought the play to the stage when performing, reflecting the real struggles of each character creating an extremely real piece of theatre that the audience were able to connect with. Use of props and stage furniture encouraged an immersive setting, contributing to the play's authenticity as well. Yew Tree’s director Sarah Osborne took creative advice and involvement from her cast when creating Permanent Pasts making it not only an excellent script but also a collaboration of ideas when creating a desired character.  Although specialising in youth theatre, it was clear she did not struggle to create a realistic and remarkable piece with skill and ease.

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