Gordon Meredith, Phil Simpson

Gordon Meredith returns to Stage4Beverley to bring history alive through stories and music and is joined this time by musician Phil Simpson.

Stealing Seven Hens is a journey from rural East Yorkshire in the early 19th century to the far off colonies of Australia where men and women convicted of the most trivial of crimes were taken. This dramatisation puts the 19th century judicial system in the dock and asks if such a harsh punishment really did fit the crime?

The convicts we meet include the infamous Snowden Dunhill of East Yorkshire who, along with nine other members of his notorious family, were transported to meet a variety of fates.

As the plights of local rogues, vagabonds and thieves are told, this piece of Folk Theatre features traditional & contemporary music & song inspired by material from the ‘Broadside Ballads’; an extensive collection of folk tales about the terrors and triumphs of the many thousands of people who were dumped on the far side of the world.

Stealing Seven Hens follows Gordon’s previous shows at the last two festivals, ‘Swinging the Lamp’ and ‘Broadside On’ that have both gone on to be performed elsewhere in the region and received great praise…

“What a powerful show: humble, well-crafted and beautiful! A balance of stories, music, eye-witness accounts, pain, fun and tears. Impressive!”

“Superb acting quality singing and a production which gripped from start to finish.”

“Broadside On is an evocative history of the Beverley shipyard. An amalgam of archival images, hauntingly beautiful music and an excellently crafted script, the play brings to life oral histories that capture our local heritage.”

“We thought Broadside On was superb today - really interesting content and brilliantly acted.

It is the best thing I have ever seen at the theatre!”

Stealing Seven Hens at the Stage4Beverley Festival, East Riding Theatre, Saturday February 15th 2020 at Midday.

Early bird Tickets £10 / Standard price £12