Unsoiled Preview: A ‘Ploughboy’s anthem’

With opening night right around the corner, I had the opportunity to interview the show’s Writer and Co-Director, Ewan Martin-Kane, and Co-Director Anna Maria Woodrow. Having had a glimpse behind the curtain, Unsoiled seems set to test the boundaries of Cambridge theatre and our understandings of disaster.

What should an audience expect from Unsoiled?

 A: At its roots, Unsoiled is a quest narrative. It’s about how a community reacts to an unforeseen disaster – some deny the scale of the problem, some search for a new promised land. Lots of them quarrel, but sometimes they come together.

 E: We’ve called it a mischievous catastrophe. The audience should expect to weep their smirks out.

 What inspired you to write a play?

 E: All my brain does is make up conversations. Usually they feature me – talking to myself or someone I know. Writing a play was a way to make up conversations which don’t involve me at all, which was a relief and a continuation of my usual neurosis.

 And Anna-Maria gave me an idea: she tied a length of string around my wrist and told me to wish upon it. It’s a tradition from the Northeast of Brazil that’s been around for centuries. I wished, and she finished the knot. Only after she’d tugged the knot tight did she tell me that I’d have to wait until the band became undone for my wish to come true. And she’s got a band on her wrist that’s been there three years. That was the first of a bundle of associated images and symbols that I hung the story, inhabitants, and language of the play upon.

The play centres around Briggsley village, what influenced your creation of this village and could you tell us a bit about the village itself?

 E: There’s a village called Brigsley in Lincolnshire, my home county. I’d forgotten it existed – as most who pass through it surely do – but it seems I’ve accidentally paid homage to it, and given it an extra ‘g’ in the process.

 Our Briggsley village is a parochial huddle of spinsters, weavers, ploughboys, patriarchs, curmudgeoners and mischief makers. I think of them as a rout of woodlice discovered under a log. They speak musically, poetically even, but are rarely harmonious. Occasionally, they reflect our own personal and political arrangements and, ultimately, share many of our problems.

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A rural setting may be surprising for a Cambridge stage, how to you think the audience will respond to this setting? 

 E: I hope they all get hayfever!

 A: It’s a roughly medieval, rural setting, but it’s very much a sounding-rod for modern urban anxieties. This imagined countryside helps us explore a calming, symbiotic connection with nature alongside the violent tactility of natural disaster. We thought that looking back would allow us to imagine what’s at stake when looking forward.

What is your favourite moment in the performance?

 E: Certainly when one of our actors tucks their legs behind their head to hide. Or when Oscar Matthews gobbles a sardine so artfully horribly. But really it’s the ploughboy’s anthem.

 A: These are all excellent moments, but my personal favourite is when Pete’s plough first hits the hard ground, and the catastrophe is set in motion.

Photo credit: Maria Woodford

What has been the best part about being involved in this production?

 E: Meeting people who care enough about my writing to suggest their own original and individual ideas for how they’d like to make it great.

 A: Seeing the actors (many of whom are freshers or new to Cambridge theatre) grow in confidence and creativity as they discover their own connection to the characters and each-other – it’s been a joy seeing the production grow from tiny seedlings back in November to a twisted, whorl tree. I’ve also enjoyed inventing increasingly convoluted warm-up games.

How does it feel seeing your work come to life? Have any of the actors portrays surprised you?

 E: They’ve all surprised me by being perfectly compatible with their role. They hardly have to act! That’s a lie – they’re doing great work and making many subtle decisions in their performances. But there’s not a single person who seems like a compromise, or half-way their character. It’s been very surprising and heartening to watch people put so much time, thought, and energy into alchemizing my script.

What do you hope the audience will take away from the performance?

 E: Solace or impetus. Regret or hope.

 A: A new-found appreciation for how precious soil is! Don’t waste it!

Delving into the intricacies of hardship and humour, Unsoiled is performing at the Corpus Playrooms between Tuesday 1st – Saturday 5th March. Tickets can be purchased here. 

Feature image credit: Coco Wheeler