A NEW play, based on real events and discovered diaries in Frome, brought to you by Dramakarma and Keyford History Group, is coming to Frome from Tuesday 31st January to Thursday 2nd February, at Rook Lane.
The Last Matron, written by Dramakarma in conjunction with Keyford History Group, will feature characters of Frome, both real and imagined.
Promoters say, “In Victorian times, Keyford Asylum on Culverhill was a training centre for young girls hoping to enter domestic service, as well as being a home for elderly men. Each scene features a short story providing a window to times past. A young girl, desperate to find herself and to explore the world, tries to throw off the shackles of the institution.
“During World War I, the building became an auxiliary hospital. Two soldiers meet there, form a bond and unveil a plan to escape to the Beehive pub. But the war and its headaches follow them. In the Second World War, siege guns were mounted on the roof of the building. But what would happen if this gun fell into the wrong hands?
“We meet an array of characters watched over by the protective figure of the Matron. Through 150 years, faces may change, but the role remains the same until the last day when the building waits for its sentence of demolition to be carried out. But there are many reasons to believe that the spirit it epitomises will live on.
“There is a strong theme of brother and sisterhood, loyalty and sacrifice throughout. There are moments of comic relief, in part provided by the lovely old men of the home and their love of a good story. An entertaining, fun and moving experience awaits.”
Tickets (£8) are available from One A gallery, in the Westway Precinct, during opening hours, Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 4.30pm, or available from Dramakarma.co.uk. Doors open at 7.30pm and curtain up at 8pm.
