Helen Harries-Rees is delighted to be directing a play she herself appeared in 42 years ago – happy memories of being one of the two sisters it imagines, alongside a very dear friend.
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00:00Good morning, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts, I just outlined Sussex in this paper,
00:05so I'm pleased to speak to Helen who is directing Akebourne for the Funtington Players now.
00:10It's coming up very shortly, but this is a play that goes back a long way for you, you
00:14were in it a little matter of 42 years ago.
00:18Exactly, yes.
00:19How does that help you, that you have that memory of actually having been in a play that
00:24you're directing this time later?
00:28Absolutely, because it was around great friendships and relationships, I'm still very good friends
00:35with the alternate sister, I was one of the sisters in Sisterly Feeling, and I still have
00:41great memories, very fond memories of working as a community.
00:47It's very much a piece where everybody gets involved and some great characters that are
00:54drawn by Akebourne, and it was just a wonderful experience to be involved in.
01:00Absolutely, and without giving away too much obviously, just set the scene, where are we
01:05beginning with this one?
01:06Well, it starts in a remote corner of Pendon Common, and basically it's all about a family
01:14that gather after the funeral to have some memories of times when they were younger,
01:21there's two sisters and a boy of a doctor, a retired doctor, and they all come with an
01:29uncle and auntie, Uncle Len and Auntie Rita turn up as well, and all their respective
01:36partners and boyfriends turn up, and of course one other person that turns up is a particularly
01:43very attractive young fit gentleman that the two sisters haven't met before, and both eyes
01:50are quickly drawn towards him, and they're quite keen on perhaps a little relationship
01:55or two going on, and basically from there on in the story starts to explain how each
02:02sister develops their relationship with this individual.
02:08Say no more, but tell me, why do you enjoy the directing?
02:12I love directing about the fact that it's community-based, it cuts across any kind of
02:18social demographics, for example we have four medics in this production in Funtington,
02:24we have a baker, we have some students, we have people from all different walks of life,
02:31and I absolutely love working with so many different people with so much talent and experience
02:40and being able for people to feel like they're contributing to something that's really special,
02:46and creates a community, a theatre community, which is marvellous in all respects, cast and
02:53crew, the crew, the technical crew, we have some wonderful people, props, costumes, stage
02:59management, lighting, sound, the whole piece, and bringing everybody together and everybody
03:05has one main objective, which is to make the best theatrical experience for the audiences
03:10that come and watch us, so yeah, I love it.
03:13You're selling it beautifully, it's coming up in Funtington,
03:16and from the Funtington players, lovely to speak to you, thank you.