So why build a theatre?

Nov 20

 
This is Porthcurno beach in Cornwall - backdrop to many a childhood holiday and  home to the open-air Minack Theatre. Summers with my family were spent almost entirely on this beach - in my mind at least, it was always scorchingly hot - and no holiday would be complete without at least one trip to the Minack.

The Minack, perched (as I used to think) perilously close to the edge of the cliff, and looking out over a breathtaking expanse of sea, was perhaps the most magical place I had ever seen. It had a charm of its own that went way beyond the stunning views and the buzz of watching theatre in the air open. 


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It was all to do with the getting ready - preparing for every eventuality (jumpers, macs and a sleeping bag or two) -  and the planning of the picnic (you quickly realised, as you watched couples popping open bottles of wine and peeling back packets of smoked salmon, that you needed something with slightly more finesse than a cheese sandwich). It was to do with the people watching, as the seats filled up, and spotting a boat far out to sea; watching the sun go down, and the moon come up; with watching a play right there, on the edge of a cliff.

 
I have been back to the Minack as an adult and the charm is most definitely still there. It's funny how you remember things though, because we have family anecdotes of sitting at the Minack in the pouring rain (so the sun clearly didn't shine every day) and we must have packed those sleeping bags for a reason... But perhaps that's a measure of the magic of a place like the Minack? That you go - and keep going back - despite the weather. I mean, there can't be many places in Britain where you'd chose to sit out in the pouring rain?!
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We run theatre workshops for kids in the Alpujarra mountains in southern Spain. Helped by a group of very willing parents (!), we write our own scripts for stage productions of well known stories or songs... or we make up our own material. Our plays are based on music, movement & dance and we aim to help teach kids to work as a group, to commit to a project, to boost confidence and to overcome shyness. Somos una grupo de madres y padres aficionados al teatro que lleva más de tres años trabajando con niños de La Alpujarra en Granada (España). A través del teatro tratamos de enseñar a los niños a trabajar en grupo, a explorar su creatividad y a vencer la timidez. Trabajando siempre con guiones originales, nuestras obras se basan en los colores, la música y la expresión corporal.

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This is a blog about a crazy idea. We want to build a theatre!
The idea is to build a little open air theatre in the Alpujarra mountains in southern Spain - and to one day organise a really cool alternative theatre festival there.

It's a big plan (and it's a bit scary as plans go). But we have the backing of the mayor and a great site for the theatre. So we're not doing too badly. Now we just need to do the rest (gulp!)....

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