Play aims to lift the lid on the loneliness issue

InterACT Church and Community Partnership in Meanwood has teamed up with Common Chorus theatre group to highlight the issue of isolation.

They will perform the play at Stainbeck Church this Friday and Saturday and host an audience discussion afterwards.

Vanessa Brown, project manager of InterAct said: “We’ve worked with Common Chorus before and they started the project, The Loneliness Society’.

“It began with a mutual friend, who had to leave work in her mid thirties because of a disability. She wanted to tell that story. It was then opened up to hear more stories about different people’s experiences of loneliness and social isolation.”

Initially a group of 15 people shared their stories and it was turned into a script.

Vanessa added: “There were a real variety of experiences ranging from someone who had recently given birth. There were also two other who people who have disabilities and serious grief in their lives.”

“A different group of people and some crossovers have then put that onto the stage and that is what will be showing on Friday and Saturday.”

‘Let’s Talk About Loneliness’ runs at the downstairs hall at Stainbeck Church on February 22 and 23 from 6.45pm to 8.45pm. Tickets cost £10 and include food and refreshments. They can be bought via buytickets.at/interactleeds.

The play features a cast of 21 people, and another 15 have been involved as writers. Vanessa said: “We decided to make it into a big event. So we are going to have some food and conversation about all those experiences of loneliness afterwards. The cast will be part of those conversations as well.”

This ties in with InterAct’s core aim of bringing the Meanwood community together.

Vanessa said: “We’ve used theatre a few times, it draws quite a lot of people together. It is about trying to put on events that raise people’s gaze. They are bigger buzz projects that add a little bit more excitement. From there they might go on to take part in our less large scale activities.”

InterAct has been going for nearly 15 years and has one staff member and around 65 volunteers through the year.

Mum-of-one Vanessa said: “Meanwood is a very mixed social and economic community. Although it probably remains white British, there is a real mix. A lot of money is coming into Meanwood but the communities can be quite separate. So really we just run activities that help bring people together.”

The group also runs fun activities for children and support services for parents. This week it is running its Half Term Pick n’ Mix.

Today, Wednesday, children can enjoy stories in the teepee from noon until 1pm and family sport and games from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Both events are at Holy Trinity Community Hall on Memorial Drive.

On Thursday it will host board games, arts and crafts and table tennis at Stainbeck Church from noon until 2.30pm. All sessions are free but donations are welcome.

Vanessa added: “We are getting people together in fun ways but we are also supporting people to deal with some other issues that they might face in life. So there are two different aims, but the primary driver is bringing people together from the Meanwood community.”