insiderblmA theatre company is celebrating the 200th anniversary of John Constable’s famous painting The Hay Wain with a new play performed at the site of the work.
Colchester-based Castle Park Theatre is producing a play at Flatford Mill, near East Bergholt, Suffolk, which was owned by Constable’s father.
The play will be previewed at the mill on Saturday before playing in the grounds of Colchester Castle.
The production tells the story of the people in the painting.
Producer Neil Jones, of the Packing Shed Theatre Company which runs the Castle Park Theatre, commissioned director and playwright Tom Edwards to write the play.
“I saw it was the 200th anniversary. I always thought it would be a really wizard idea to do a play about John Constable’s The Hay Wain,” said Mr Jones.
Mr Edwards said: “So I went up to Flatford Mill. I kind of took in the place because it looks pretty similar to how it does in the picture.
“I did a lot of research into what life was like for people at the time John Constable actually painted the picture.
“Life was really complicated and really very, very challenging,” he said. “I found a story that comes out of the of picture, of the people in the picture. It’s about a family trying to figure out how to live with dignity.”
The National Trust, which looks after the Flatford Mill site, heard about the project and asked if the play could be put on at Flatford.
Mr Jones said it was “particularly exciting” to put on a performance near the site of the painting.
He said those involved felt like “kids in a sweet shop” at being able to perform the play so close to the river.
“We want people to hear the story through the actors and marvel in the surroundings,” he said.
“The play has to compliment the surroundings and the surroundings have to compliment the play.”
The preview show takes places at the Granary Garden, Flatford, on Saturday.
Then the play is being performed at the Castle Park, Colchester, 8-18 September.
