Celebrating Somerset’s creative & cultural practitioners: The Apple Orchard Players

This month we focus on another of our Creative Commissions, a cross generational project happening in an undisclosed rural location between Ilminster and Crewkerne. Peter Pan is the production being restaged in an open-air amphitheatre that sits within an apple orchard by a collective of artists titled, The Apple Orchard Players.

The idea behind the creative design process is very much Somerset community based, with community participation for this rural community centre stage.

The project and live performance were trialled on the land last year and now in its second season led by Gabriella Guymer-Davies and her company, The Apple Orchard Players. The company aims to connect rural communities and bring people together through theatre, engaging local children and encouraging them to participate in a variety of ways on their production. During which they aim to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.

The company engages children and young people living in and around this rural community through a series of Stage Craft workshops in which they make, build and paint parts of the set and props which will be used in the production. With the production due to take place on 28th June where the acting company will perform Peter Pan using the backdrops and props created during the workshop.

In addition to the craft activity, local children and young people will take part and perform in the show on the night, acting as ‘Lost Children’ and helping to create the shows magic.

April saw the beginning of this year’s project, on the land of a local friend of Gabriella’s.

The Peter Pan Stage Craft Workshop was attended by twelve local children, all living within four fields of each other, where they spent a day learning, creating and having as much fun as possible. The workshop was led by the show’s local Designer, Jacqui Wickham, and facilitators, Ashie Quartly and Meg Wickham.

The workshop began with story time to let everyone share in the timeless classic Peter Pan, with the young people excited to discover their crucial role in creating this summer’s production.

Pictured here - After drinks and home-made biscuits, whilst exploring what props would be required and how the actors would be using these in the staged production. This part of the day was followed by hand painting to create the props for the pirate battle in the performance.Pictured here - After drinks and home-made biscuits, whilst exploring what props would be required and how the actors would be using these in the staged production. This part of the day was followed by hand painting to create the props for the pirate battle in the performance.

After sandwiches for lunch, once refuelled, they set the children and young people an activity. A treasure hunt. Where the young people explored and sought out hats and natural treasures to create and prepare the hats for the Lost Children. With the facilitators observing how wonderful it was to see the young people collaborating with one another.

On the night of the performance the children and young people will form the ensemble of Lost Children, wearing the hats they have prepared at the Stage Craft workshop. They will also enact the storm and create the waves of the sea during the big pirate battle scene, which they practiced and rehearsed on the day.

The props are now with The Apple Orchard Players for their rehearsals and previews outside Somerset. Soon they will return in June for the Somerset performance. This will be performed in a small open-air theatre, to the backdrop of the painted scenic artwork and props from the workshop.

The performance of Peter Pan will commence on a hopefully dry magical midsummer evening, on the 28th June. For local residence in rural communities between Ilminster and Crewkerne. Should you live in and around this area, seek and you may find.