IMAGE CREDIT: The Honk Project
Is the Royal Oak and Castle in Pevensey single handedly changing the face of Market Square this summer with a series of theatrical set pieces that are drawing crowds to the locality from far and wide? Simon Montgomery takes a look at the phenomenon of ‘pop up theatre’ that has arrived in the historic village.
First from a galaxy far far away we had the stormtroopers from Star Wars arriving at the Royal Oak and Castle on May 4th, with a nod and wink to the Eastern Gate and their Roman forefathers.
In a prequel we had the ‘hub in a pub scheme’ with East Sussex County Council to enable local library users to exchange books at the public house.
Now we have fun theatre events with national credits.
A little of the spirit of the original Globe Theatre from Elizabethan times appears to have timeshifted and landed in Market Square, Pevensey.
Something is going on at the Royal Oak and Castle Inn that is putting us back on the cultural map in a unique way.
There is some intelligent event programming that is bringing profile to Pevensey from a number of quarters.
We have been here before. In 1908 we staged the Pevensey Pageant.
Something like 20,000 people turned up to see theatrical fairies dancing in the grounds of Pevensey Castle. There were Wild West re-enactments, the Kings and Queen’s of England strolling the grounds and local theatrical groups resplendent as Roman Centurions.
The East Sussex County Council archives curators have posted pictures of the event here on Flickr.
A late Art Nouveau style poster in the Court House Museum celebrates the event.
The public house, with a growing reputation for staging events, may be tapping into a rich historical vein.
Is the Royal Oak and Castle Inn re-discovering the zeitgeist of the performing arts in Pevensey?
It is certainly beginning to look that way.
The public house is celebrating this week (25 July) with a post on their Facebook feed that offers thanks to their staff.
Commenting about latest qualifications earned by the staff, owners posted a thank you for all their efforts; “Congratulations to ALL our staff who have been updating and completed their skills and knowledge in Food, Hygiene in all areas, safety in all areas, and Customer service. We are now looking forward to an enjoyable and busy summer season”
On 19 July, The Royal Oak and Castle staged theatre in the garden. A production put on by the Strangeface Theatre Company saw the following response; “A big thank you to Strangeface theatre company & Applause Rural touring for the ‘Beached’ performance that took place in the pub today.
“Sorry if you missed out, feedback has been amazing. If you enjoyed this look out for The Honk Project on Saturday 15th August”.
Next on the bill is ‘The Dancing Day Trippers’, part of the Honk Project ensemble.
We are told to look out for them “arriving on a vintage moped with classic sidecar and jive, joke, clown and playing music”.
The Strangeface Theatre Company, based in Southborough,Tunbridge Wells, which has launched this series of shows at the Royal Oak and Castle, offers mask and puppet plays, and provides workshops.
Russell Dean, the Artistic Director has a variety of roles, which includes designing and making the masks and puppets and running residencies and workshops
Russell studied at Aberystwyth University where he gained a first class degree in Drama. He worked as a freelance designer/maker and facilitator for Trestle Theatre Company, Welsh National Opera, Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah amongst many others.
He has been a writer, director, designer/maker, performer, project manager and facilitator on 9 productions and hundreds of workshops for Strangeface since 2001.
In the Guardian newspaper, Lyn Gardener said “Russell Dean’s masks shoot straight for the heart”.
Attracting talent of this quality to Pevensey is no mean feat, but it would appear to be only the prelude.
Planned over the summer is a series of events.
Waiting in the Wings is ‘The Dancing Day Trippers’, a show set up by the Honk Project.
They say, “our brand new show for summer 2015 is ready for bookings! Meet Doris and Alby, the eccentric musical vintage enthusiasts, and their amazing moped and sidecar!! An eye-catching walkabout for all ages, with lots of audience interaction, live music and jive dancing!
“Founded in 2007, The Honk Project specialises in bringing music and clowning together in hilarious, eccentric, heart-tickling and inventive productions for children and families, both indoor and outdoor”.
As well as making fun theatre, like the Strangeface Theatre Company, The Honk Project also runs workshops and classes for people of all ages.
Based in Whitstable, they offer regular weekly classes for babies and toddlers called Honker Tonkers.
Amy Howard, who describes herself as ‘Chief Honk’ is a musician and a performer – and also the originator of The Honk Project. She trained at L’Ecole Jacques Lecoq and has had clown guidance from Angela de Castro and Avner Eisenberg.
Her professional experience ranges from performing and playing music for circus (Giffords) to self-initiated acts such as sax/tap cabaret duo Banana Burlesque. She has toured with The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company, and performed as a musician clown for SClowns.
Ed Hicks, another player in The Honk Project, is a banjo player, songster, irreverent folk-activist and performer.
He has toured the country as Sleepy Ed Hicks – a self-styled Appalachian troubadour – played in a Belgian Klezmer Brass band, sung for a Dixieland clown trio and taught banjo to journalists, brokers and anarchists. Ed studied clown with Fraser Hooper and taught himself Old Time Fiddle whilst sitting next to rivers. Ed is also a member of street theatre company, Ramshacklicious and co-founded the Cockney Awkestra.
Somewhere in the place that is sometimes called ‘the hidden jewel in the crown of Sussex’, owners of businesses, public houses. festival organisers and event planners are sensing the possibilities that Pevensey has always presented.
Wealden Council and East Sussex County Council are seeing these possibilities and offering seedcorn funding to projects. These projects are beginning to bear fruit.
The Royal Oak and Castle Inn is centre stage this summer in the re-casting of Market Square. The historic value of the locality is a rich source of material for event planning. The performance based events appear to be resonating with a local audience.
Racuous populist ensemble performance has a long history in this country and this kind of playful acting also has a history here in Pevensey.
The name of the Globe refers to the Latin phrase ‘quod fere totus mundus exerceat histrionem’, which comes from Petronius. One translation of the phrase is “because all the world is a playground”.
Something feels right about the new theatre based events that are being staged by the Royal Oak and Castle.
They are taking place in the beer garden that doubles as a playground for children. Some of the events are being staged in Market Square alongside the ruins of a Roman Castle.
The Royal Oak and Castle Inn is developing an enviable local reputation as a public house. The food and drink is excellent value, the staff are noted for the quality of their service. The addition of features that comprise a ‘social hub’ are carefully thought out and full of potential.
Nowhere is this thinking better expressed than in the series of fun, family based theatrical events being hosted over the summer.
You can catch the next theatrical performances at the Royal Oak and Castle, The Dancing Day Trippers on Saturday 15th August with 3 half hour shows outside the pub. Contact the public house for further details.
Royal Oak and Castle Inn
High Street, Pevensey
01323 762371
