The Voice Message That Started It All
I decided to focus the story of 'My Fruits' on the flats after I received a voice message from my mum. In the message, she described a recurring dream that she has where she is lost in an estate and can't find her way out. The original message can be listened to below; I have added subtitles for ease of access.
Visiting the Estate
As part of the making of 'My Fruits', my family and I visited the estate where my mum and her siblings had grown up. This was in the February of 2022, and it was the first time that the family had been back at the flats all together since moving out over forty years ago. Visiting the flats was an important part of the project, as it created the opportunity for my family to re-encounter a world they feared as children through the critical and somewhat emancipatory lens of adulthood.
The photo on the left displays the flat they used to live in. It can be seen on the far right-hand side of the second photo, one flat up from the ground floor. Since my family lived there, in the early 1970s, the rear of the block has been painted white and mint green.
A Multimedia Archive
'My Fruits' was created from a variety of different materials, including less tradition forms of archive like text messages. Presented below are some messages that my uncle and I shared. These messages informed the show and provided me with a deeper understanding of the effects of the childhood experiences that 'My Fruits' explores. Please click on each image to enlarge.
Performing at HOME
I presented 'My Fruits' in February 2023 to audiences across three nights and six performances. My family – the stars of the show – came to see the final performance on the Saturday night. Here are some photos taken before and after that show, including some of our celebrations the next day.
Performing at HOME was an incredibly inspiring experience for both me and my family, and I cannot thank the theatre enough for helping us to share our story with the world.