The Town Meeting, a new play from Newcastle company Cap-a-Pie, explores representation in the lead-up to the general election, placing the audience in role as residents of a beleaguered town.
The Town Meeting is set in the fictional Little Rikjord—a town in crisis. Voted most picturesque town in Greater Doggerland four years running, Little Rikjord is a vibrant and affluent community. However, with the town’s prosperity owing much to the open cast iron ore mine and with the current seam close to exhaustion, uncertainty looms.
On the eve of a crucial hearing, the audience, taking on the role of the town’s residents, must come up with a plan for Little Rikjord’s future, assisted only by shambolic Junior Planning Officer Benjamin Rennold.
Developed by Cap-a-Pie in collaboration with Dr Paul Cowie, a researcher at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, The Town Meeting is both a chance for the audience to play and an opportunity for them to help shape research.
"I was really interested in developing this piece as it allows me to understand more about what representation means to different people," Cowie explained. "I research how communities engage with planning processes and I’m really interested and excited both to share my research with people and gain their expertise and knowledge."
The show is part of Performing Research, a collaboration between Newcastle University and Cap-a-Pie, which brings together academics and theatre makers to create with each other, and connect to audiences and communities.
The Town Meeting will tour to six venues in April and May:
- 10 April – Northern Stage, Newcastle
- 29 April – The Cheviot Centre, Wooler, Northumberland
- 30 April – Theatre Delicatessen North, Sheffield
- 6 May – Amble Development Trust, Amble, Northumberland
- 9 May – Newbiggin Maritime Centre, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland
- 18 May – The Customs House, South Shields