Sue Jennings Presents...
‘Playing with Heart around the Globe’
‘Playing with Heart’ - First Edition
Welcome everyone to my first Substack Newsletter. The adrenalin is really bursting for this, my first edition of ‘Playing with Heart’, in which I will be commenting on many matters to do with play, drama and theatre. They are three linked activities that are often dismissed as being unimportant on the great stage of learning: ‘when will he do some proper learning?’ is a plaintive parental cry; ‘Drama in my school? It would be opening Pandora’s Box,’ dismissed a head teacher.
I shall also be including book reviews, stories, poems and important announcements. And please comment on any issues you wish. Your participation is really important.
With Love
Dr Sue
January 2024
Main Feature: ‘You can make a Drama out of a Crisis!’
The viewing reaction to the recent tv series, Mr Bates v. The Post Office has deep significance, not only for sub-postmasters. The drama which featured the stories of hundreds of people who were wrongfully imprisoned, accused of fraud and false-accounting, and subsequently lost their houses, livelihoods and long-term reputations, makes difficult viewing, not only because of the impact on large numbers of innocent people, but also the sheer scale of duplicity and manipulation by the several authorities to try and preserve their reputations.
These matters are currently being addressed by the courts, the House of Commons, investigative committees, and social media and newspapers. It means we shall be affected politically, economically, morally AND constitutionally. It is now considered the ‘greatest miscarriage of justice’ in our history, and technically caused by computer error, and subsequent human duplicity.
Why am I bringing it here? It’s because it was a play, a TV play (not a report or a documentary), that was the main influence in the public’s and government’s change in perception. A play that made a multi-million pounds turnaround! Despite there being a Panorama investigation almost 12 months ago, and questions being asked in high places, it was the play, the art form of the events, that prompted action to be taken. I am not suggesting this will encourage more drama teachers and dramatherapists to be appointed, but perhaps there is a little dent in the assumption that the arts, and drama in particular, are ‘lesser’ subjects when it comes to designing the curriculum or funding projects.
For decades, theatre has struggled to be taken seriously enough to warrant funding. In schools, the drama classes are the first thing to be cancelled when revision time is needed for examinations or sports practice. Drama college or degrees have difficulty attracting grants. The reverse does not happen when extra time is needed for rehearsals, and where is the funding for children and teenagers to go to the theatre!
Play time is seen as a time filler until children go to ‘proper’ school: ‘And must we have messy play?’ Or ‘She is just learning to be clean and tidy!’ Or ‘Just sit still and we can tell the story!’ Or ‘We can’t have real grass, that would make a mess; the plastic grass looks real!’. A new nursery school about to open, was asked about the space for messy play, was told ‘We can’t do that yet until we see if the school is successful!’, as the eyes glazed over! After looking at the pristine environment, the feeling was that it would never be included.
My writing will explore more and more of these areas in theatre-drama-play that we find so difficult to manage or even acknowledge.
Meanwhile GOOD LUCK to all these amazing post-office people who need our love and support. ‘Fight the Good Fight’
And love to you all too!
Dr Sue
Bits and Pieces:
Very exciting news: Routledge publishers have formally commissioned The Handbook of Neuro-Dramatic-Play with NDP practitioners from all over the world contributing chapters. Edited by me and Clive Holmwood.
Remember the very unique opportunity to study NDP on the island of Naxos: 26-31 May 2024. See Naxos Creative for more details.
I am pleased to report that Hinton House Publishers have a solution for their recent difficulties: they have been taken over by Loggerheads Publishing, and the name brand will be retained. Read more.
Book Recommendation
A delightful new book, Shakespeare: the Man who Pays the Rent, is published by Michael Joseph. It consists of interviews of Dame Judi Dench by actor and director Brendon O’Hea, about all the roles she has played in Shakespeare during a seven-decade period. There is humour, in depth analysis and honest reflection. Highly recommended. Judi Dench says: ‘Be kind, be curious, be playful. And keep a sense of humour.’
The Dancing Camel
And I will finish this first newsletter with a Persian Story from long ago.
The Merchants were travelling as a small group for protection, as there were bandits along this difficult rocky path. There were steep cliffs to the right, and an inhospitable valley to then left; everything looked dry and barren. The Merchants were carrying precious jewels, rolls of silk, and valuable parchments to trade at the end of their journey. They were getting hot and tired as the sun rose overhead, but their camels plodded slowly on.
Just then, one of the younger Merchants said, ‘Look, look down there to your left.’ The rocky valley had changed to lush green grass, and there was a river running through the land. The Chief Merchant paused and then said, ‘Let’s stop for a rest and refreshing water.’ They guided their camels down the steep slope into the valley and walked towards the river.
Again, the young Merchant said, ‘Look, look over there!’ and he pointed across the river.
There, under a spreading tree was the most beautiful boy you have ever seen; and he was dancing in a wondrous way: weaving his limbs, as if to some silent music, oblivious to the surroundings. They all stopped and stared, amazed! One of the older Merchants said, ‘You should be ashamed, staring at someone displaying their body. It is an insult to the lord.’
The man’s camel reared up on its hind legs and threw him to the ground, and then started to dance, delicately moving its limbs, as if to mirror the dancing boy.
The Chief Merchant said, ‘If the beasts of the field can dance in praise of the lord, why shouldn’t we?’
Looking forward to hearing more from my pioneering mother. X