slideshow of all the people … so many people

RICH SEAM THEATRE
Rich Seam Theatre in collaboration with Right Up Our Street present

ODD JOB MEN

Written, performed and directed by Nick Lane and Matthew Booth
Featuring the people of Doncaster.
“There are some cracking stories out there, we know it!”

The Odd Job Men carried out their errands in the Summer of 2015, and performed their final production in nine venues around Doncaster in October and November 2015. Below is an outline of what they did.

“It’s our belief that you can walk out of your front door and be less than a minute away from an amazing story. We’d love to hear as many of them as possible. Stories and storytelling are the very lifeblood of Rich Seam Theatre, and during Spring and early Summer 2015, if you live in the Doncaster area, we want to offer you a simple exchange – we’ll come to your house, do an odd job for you, and in return all we ask for is a chat and a story.
Why odd jobs? Aside from the contention that all jobs in the arts are generally looked on as rather odd, the concept is a rapidly disappearing one in an age of growing cynicism and suspicion. Simple exchanges – not always monetary, but of value to both sides – is one of the bedrocks of a thriving community; it is a way by which we can measure our connections whilst at the same time revelling in our individuality.
We’re looking for anything – funny stories, touching ones, the weird and the wonderful… stuff that happened years ago or yesterday; we don’t mind. We’ll take the lot. And do your ironing while we’re at it.*
Hopefully you’ll recommend us to a friend after we’ve been to see you, and that person will recommend us to a third and so on, effectively turning us into a human chain letter, fuelled by goodwill (and the desire to create accessible theatre).
Once the stories are gathered, we’ll turn them into a play, to be performed in venues across Doncaster – we want to bring the theatre to you. Partly the play will chronicle our journey around the houses we visit… but mostly it will be a celebration of the stories told to us on our odyssey.
We’re starting our Odd Jobs in April – if you’re in Doncaster, keep a look out for them. If you’re not but you know someone who is, let them know!
*We can do more than ironing, obviously. That was just an example.”

The performance schedule was as below
Wed 21st Oct Woodfield Club, Balby
Thu 22nd Oct Miners Welfare, Rossington
Fri 23rd Oct Moorends Miners Welfare, Thorne
Wed 28th Oct Concertina Band Club, Mexborough
Thu 29th Oct Community Centre, Scawby
Fri 30th Oct Armthorpe Community Centre
Sat 31st Oct Dunscroft Community Centre
Wed 11th Nov CAST, Doncaster (Studio)