Barrow show to shine light on 'often overlooked generation'

Sinfonia, a production by The Performance Ensemble, features Barrovians aged over 60 telling their real-life stories, interspersed with original music and dance.

Among the cast are Bernice Woodhouse and Nancy Hendley.

Mrs Woodhouse, a 77-year-old who has lived in Barrow since marrying in 1966, was a foster parent for 31 years as well as having two children of her own.

Bernice Woodhouse whose story of family life will be shared during the Sinfonia performance (Image: John Rennie)

Her story touches upon her lonely upbringing above her parents' pub, juxtaposed with her husband's family, who, despite being 'tone deaf', loved to sing.

She said: "I've never done anything like Sinfonia before but every year, I make a resolution to do something new."

Ms Hendley, also making her stage debut, will narrate the tragic story of her brothers, George and Ken, who drowned in the Duddon estuary in 1969.

Their deaths brought mourning to Askam and led to the establishment of the Duddon Inshore Rescue.

Nancy Hendley, whose story of her brothers' tragic drowning will feature in Sinfonia (Image: John Rennie)

She said: "When you're standing next to someone, you might never know what they've suffered in life and my performance will be a tribute to my brothers."

The Performance Ensemble, the UK's first professional older people's theatre company, will share the stage with the pair.

The opportunity has been provided by BarrowFull, who arranged a visit to Leeds Playhouse for older Barrovians to see the original production.

Sinfonia was first performed at Leeds Playhouse earlier this year (Image: David Lindsay)

BarrowFull's creative director, Daniel Tyler-McTighe, said: "The performance had a massive impact on the group who had not seen this type of theatre before."

BarrowFull, which began in 2020, has been running workshops for older adults, primarily visual art and craft-based.

The success of exploratory workshops by The Performance Ensemble in Barrow gave rise to the idea of the town having its own version of Sinfonia, sponsored by the Sir John Fisher Foundation and Barrow Town Council.

The Leeds version of Sinfonia which inspired the BarrowFull project (Image: David Lindsay)

Rehearsals have begun for the performances on September 18 at 1.30pm and 7.30pm in a pop-up theatre space at The Forum.

The cast are under the direction of 73-year-old Alan Lyddiard, The Performance Ensemble's artistic director.

Mr Lyddiard said: "We’ve been creating high quality performances with people over 60 for years now, giving a voice to generations that have been forgotten or deemed irrelevant.

"These people have full lives and experiences worth sharing and we are revealing and celebrating them in new, beautiful and emotive ways."

Tickets, priced at £16 for adults and £6 for people over 60 and children, are available from The Forum box office on 01229 820000 or at theforumbarrow.co.uk.