Testimonials

"I have made more friends and I enjoy being around other people, I am usually alone all day."

"I thought the oldies would be boring at first, but they’re pretty cool especially when they did a rap!"

"They learnt all about Ponders End in the old days and we learnt about each other." 

"I didn’t realise how much you could say without words." 

"Rosemary takes me back home. My mother used it all the time." 

"It’s funny you ask me a question and I can’t think of an answer. Then I see the artefacts and I can’t stop talking."

"You gave everyone a chance to talk… finding different things to keep the conversation going and keep the brain thinking."

"You gave everyone a chance to talk… finding different things to keep the conversation going and keep the brain thinking."

"The front room… you got it perfect…What kind of memory you got."

"The front room brought me right back to when we used to have bright wallpaper and the carpet that didn’t match."

"Its lots of women's story it’s the reality of their lives in those days it would have been hidden".

"It was good to see two friends of mixed cultures."

"The show gave them happy memories…"

‘Thanks so much for giving Mum some precious moments – she clearly loved it"

"Lots of them used to do nursing.. they definitely related to that…."

"It helps you remember all of us remembered parts of our lives like the nursing it really was like that and the films and photos were excellent."

"You truly provoked a lot of memories… Very beautifully done."

"It was really something different.. come again."

"A lovely way to spend an afternoon, full of nostalgia seeing the show. I threw myself into it along with the audience and loved the mix of songs, emotions, such as loosing the baby, dancing and memories."

"Well done with the show. It was lovely seeing the confused and stony faces of some of the audience break into smiles of recognition."

"An excellent and engaging show. The audience loved it and were sharing memories with each other. It was wonderful to be a part of the experience".

"Very interactive show it was lovely to experience residents taking part coming out of their shells and enjoying it."

"The characters that you have created seem very real. I know these women. They are of my parent's generation. The show really does come alive when the songs start. You can suddenly see across the audience the previously passive faces mouthing the words, smiling, eyes sparkling. Quite magical actually."

"Thank you again for putting on such a wonderful production at Bridgewood. I could see that from the variety of emotions it invoked in the audience it really was a thought provoking and stimulating performance.

There was tears and laughter, singing and dancing and everything in-between. I really commend you and your team for a production that was so interactive and engaging.

I thought that the way the dialogue and story so frequently promoted memories, the physical performance captivated visual attention and the music selections were not only apt for the scenes, but also stimulated memories of song from years ago, with much of the audience memorising melodies and singing along."

"Dream Hour is a beautifully constructed work built around the concept of two older friends reflecting together on episodes of their lives through the parallel act of ironing clothes.

The stories of the two characters’ lives are literally pulled out of the ironing basket. A sequence of stories played out with song and chat was enhanced by slides and video clips.

The two performers were supported by a small intergenerational group of facilitators who created a series of participatory moments with the older audience at key points during the story.

These included invitations to dance, sing and experience a range of multi-sensory objects that were linked to the narrative on the stage.

The work was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience at the performance I attended and people’s attention was held throughout.

The show effectively mixed the ‘sweet with the sour’, there were small poignant moments that allowed a wide emotional range to enter into the reflections of different episodes in the character’s lives."