On Rivalled
Temptations!!
A diary entry by Elliot
Cowan on the occasion of
the LSW Prison Project's debut at HMP Cookham Wood, 11th June 2001
A word of advise: Next time you go to Rochester be careful. Please, please be careful. Do not, under any circumstances, use more than one cab firm at any one time. If you have need for more than one cab wait until two from the same firm have arrived, regardless of temptations by rival firms. Providing you follow these simple instructions you will not rock the proverbial hackney carriage and you will avoid a bloody showdown between the meanest cab companies since the Capulets and Montagues did the dirty.
On the 12th June, on our way to HMP Cookham Wood, Rochester, the LSW team chose to overlook this simple rule and barely lived to tell the tale; such was the abuse from one crabby cabbie. Harassed and shaken and with the disquiet of last week's troublesome workout still ringing in some members' ears, we prepared to meet the first group of female inmates we had ever been allowed to work with. A big day for LSW: without doubt. But were we still up to it?
You're damn tootin'! Once we had familiarised ourselves with the bouncy acoustics of the rather large gym that had been assigned to us, we readied ourselves for the arrival of our ladies. We were given no warning of what to expect other than there would be about 20 attendants, dressed in their own clothes. And some may not have English as their first language. Since part of our job was to introduce the words of Shakespeare as a linguistic birthright to everyone, I did not anticipate this as being a problem.
Thankfully I was right. We were joined by a group of joyful and accepting women of all ages between 20 and 50, all committed to their time with us in their own way. At once Tina explained she didn't know what she was doing here as her mate had signed her up without her knowing but was willing to get involved. Even Scottie, who seemed very shy and quiet to begin with couldn't get enough of the Insult Game and kept on coming back for more. But what was particularly startling was the depth of knowledge some of the women had of Shakespeare already. Glyn, for one, out quoted most of us during clumps and had to correct me on a few of my Hamlet references. And her friend Clare impressed us all with her reciting of one speech directly and confidently straight to Gwyn.
Other characters that shone through were Tee, for coupling lines of Shakespeare with her own lines in Mari; and Boogie, for generating an atmosphere of experimentation by declaring jokingly how some of the games were "damaging her Rep!" but carrying on regardless; and Tina, who despite her initial bewilderment demanded we come back to do more as soon as possible. As indeed we will, if only we can get a cab to pick us up from the station!
 |
ELLIOT COWAN 2000, Stage, Devil's Man, RAKE'S PROGRESS, LCSO, Robin
Midgley |