Memories of Dundee will be thrust to the foreground in the city Rep’s largest community theatre performance in more than 20 years.
Devised by community actors from Whitfield, This Town will explore Dundee through the eyes of its people.
Director Suzi Morrice, head of creative learning at the Rep, is looking forward to taking such a large-scale production to Verdant Works.
She said: “It’s all about really redefining our community theatre and about the cultural output of a city.”
The 40-plus cast of Whitfield actors have been rehearsing since October at Whitfield Community Centre and have now started rehearsing weekends at Dundee Rep.
The Whitfield Community Choir is also performing in the project, working closely with the composer on the original songs.
Sarah Harrop, who takes the choir, said the group generally sings a cappella harmonies but for This Town will be accompanied by a small orchestra, complete with accordion.
Sarah said: “This venture with the Rep is very different and very exciting. This Town is lots of different stories that will be woven together with the songs.
“We’ve been involved with the composer in developing the songs. That’s totally new for us. We’ve had to be adaptable and people have risen to the challenge.”
Sarah said the group has just about “nailed the songs” now and the next challenge will be to sing with the orchestra.
“It’s going to be very interesting,” she said. “The choir has risen to the challenge with great aplomb.”
Suzi added: “Hopefully, it’s something wonderfully unique. We’ve really worked with people’s memory of Dundee in the past, Dundee now and hopefully, in the future.
“We are even building a pea buster stall in the courtyard.”
The old stall used to sit in the market in the old Overgate, where plates of chips and peas were sold.
Suzi said: “People remember the pervading smell of vinegar and they had a big tin bath where they would literally tip your plate in the water once you were finished.”
In other parts of the Verdant Works actors will recreate Blind Mattie, who used to play her accordion to the women of the East House poor house for them to dance.
Different sets and snippets of drama will be performed in different parts of the works, with audience members being confronted with different elements in different rooms.
“We are working very hard to let people have an experience,” Suzi said.
“They are coming to explore the memories of other people and themselves and we are asking them to share a memory, which we will be clipping up on a washing line at the end.”
This Town runs at Verdant Works From March 26-29, starting at 7.30pm, and tickets are available from the Dundee Rep box office.