Care, Dementia, and Grotesque Parody.

This June Theatre Severn is taking a trip into the grotesque, wading into the bizarre, and sailing on the seas of the unsettling, and what vehicle will they be using on this madcap journey? ‘A Ship of Fools’.

A Ship of Fools Theatre Company will be bringing their latest production ‘From the Cradle to the Bin’ to the Shropshire venue later this month. The show has been described as part musical, part comedy, part drama and part freak show. It is a unique piece of work and uses the unusual style of ‘Bouffon theatre’ to tell its story.

For those of you unfamiliar with ‘Bouffon’ theatre, and I suspect that is most of us, it refers to a particular type of grotesque theatre. The word comes from a Latin verb: buffare, which means to fill the cheeks with air.  When you blow up your cheeks you adopt an attitude and become comically deformed. This type of mocking of ourselves to provoke a reaction is at the heart of Bouffon theatre.

French Scholar Jacques Lecoq said “The difference between the clown and the bouffon is that while the clown is alone, the bouffon is part of a gang; while we make fun of the clown, the bouffon makes fun of us.”

The company ‘A Ship of Fools’ was founded in 2011 by Artistic Director Charles Shetcliffe in response to the death of his father from Huntington’s Disease, they have been working on ‘From the Cradle to the Bin’ for over two years now, and as a company they are a mission to entertain and to raise awareness of Huntington’s Disease and the HDA, Huntington’s Disease Association.

Huntington’s disease is a complex neuro-degenerative disease affects movement, cognition and behaviour causing progressive dementia in those aged between 35- 45. It is a hereditary condition passed down from parents to children, and after the death of his father artistic director Charles Shetcliffe discovered he currently has the DNA marker for the disease.

Dementia, care, and end of life treatment are strong themes in the play. The story follows an affable old gent, Mr Whitey, through the end of his life. We see how he reacts to being part of the care system, get to meet his inept carers and money hungry family members and watch as everyone ensure his last days on earth are memorable ones, although possibly not in the way he had hoped.

Venue spokesman Pip Bayley said ‘I am really looking forward to this. We always try and cultivate a diverse range of shows at the venue but this is something else. Bouffon theatre sounds absolutely fascinating.  Care and Dementia are subjects that affect us all, it will be interesting to see them through the eyepiece of the grotesque. It will certainly be an interesting evening. ‘

‘From The Cradle to the Bin’ will be at Theatre Severn on Wednesday 3rd June. Tickets are available via Theatre Severn’s website www.theatresevern.co.uk or by contacting their Box Office on (01743) 281 281.