A freelance theatre director is appealing for people to contact her with stories about Keswick Mountain Rescue Team which will help inform a play she is planning to put on at the town’s Theatre by the Lake.
Lexie Ward is currently developing a show about mountain rescue in Cumbria and wants to hear from people who have been involved in or have witnessed a rescue, have a family or friend in the Keswick team or is a member of the community who has felt the impact the volunteers have had on the area.
“I basically went down a bit of a Keswick Mountain Rescue Team rabbit hole during the pandemic and think the work they do as volunteers absolutely deserves to be shouted about more so as to draw attention to them and support their fundraising efforts,” said Lexie, who lives in Carlisle.
“So I have been working towards a verbatim theatre piece that tells the story of the team, their community and those they’ve rescued, that will hopefully do just that.
“Theatre by the Lake (TBTL) has been very supportive of its development to date and they, like me, are passionate about telling Cumbrian stories.
“I have spent a number of months interviewing and shadowing Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, and am now looking to talk to people outside of the team who have memories or stories about it.”
Lexie has a strong history with TBTL having been the assistant director on Sense and Sensibility in 2018, and The Borrowers in 2022. She was also the director of the Young Company from 2018-2020 and enjoyed working with local talent to tell new and interesting stories.
She is currently an origins director with the renowned Headlong Theatre, which is a scheme that supports non-London based talent in developing their careers.
“My initial period of research for this mountain rescue play was supported by the Michael Grandage Company with a bursary, and I’m looking forward to the next stage of its development,” said Lexie. “I’m looking to speak to not only folk who’ve been rescued, but anyone from the local community who has an opinion on mountain rescue, or anecdotes in any shape or form to share.
“Verbatim theatre is made up of the stories and text taken from the interviews, so the more the absolute merrier!”
Lexie said that every conversation is incredibly useful whether it lasts five minutes or an hour. “The play is going to have verbatim theatre elements, which is a type of documentary theatre constructed from the words of real people, so I will be hoping to record these conversations with permission,” she said. “Names won’t be used.”
Anyone wanting to contact Lexie can email: [email protected]
