Issue 284 – Workshop leads to success for Frome writer

As a result of a writing workshop at the Merlin Theatre recently, called 7 Ages of Shoes, Frome woman Rosie Finnegan has been offered the chance of having her work performed in Bristol.

The aim of the workshop was to encourage local writers to create characters inspired by shoes, to be performed as five-minute monologues.
Rosie was so enthused by this workshop she rushed home and started writing a monologue called Sarah Siddons. She submitted this piece to Writer’s Block, a Bristol based production company, who are so impressed with her work they want to produce it next Spring. This will be part of a promenade theatre project performed around the Docks.
Her monologue is based on a real-life character called Sarah Siddons, an actress famous for her portrayal of Lady MacBeth, at the turn of the 19th century. Sarah Siddons is said to haunt both the Theatre Royal Bath and Bristol Old Vic. “I’m so excited and it’ll be such a thrill to see my work performed on stage,” said Rosie.
Closer to home in the Merlin Theatre, at an evening called Stage Write, Sarah Siddons will be read by renowned actress Joanna Hole. Joanna may be familiar to many of us from her roles in The Bill, Miss Marple, Waking the Dead and Law and Order. The lively line-up for Stage Write features work by a dozen local writers who have created a melange of colourful characters, inspired by shoes.
Taking the form of five minute monologues, a sparkling array of writing from the hilarious to the hopeful, the witty to the whimsical, will make for an eclectic and entertaining evening. Several of the writers involved have been published and broadcast like Magnus Nelson, Alison Clink and Gordon Graft. Rosie says, “We’ve had two ‘Shoes’ workshops so far and there’s an amazingly talented bunch of writers involved. The calibre of the writing is kind of astonishing – you wouldn’t believe there could be so much talent in a small town.”
Stage Write presents 7 Ages of Shoes on Wednesday 14th October at 7.45pm in the Merlin Theatre. Recommended 14+. Admission £4. Call: 01373 465949.