A HAUNTED EXISTENCE To Tour The UK

As Pride celebrations and the spreading legalisation of gay marriage are met with a rise of homophobic leaders and protests against inclusive education, it is both hard and easy to believe that until 1967 homosexual acts were illegal in the UK, with countless gay people persecuted. Bringing the tragic story of one such person to the stage, whose arrest in 1954 led to a string of persecutions against gay men in Taunton, Tom Marshman will tour A Haunted Existence following a debut in Bristol last year.

In 1954, Geoffrey Patrick Williamson was arrested after approaching a fellow train passenger. The passenger was in fact a railway policeman. On arrest, Williamson gave the names of numerous men he had been involved with, resulting in a spate of prosecutions, including a decorated war hero who tragically took his own life using cyanide while in the police cells. Commenting on the case at the time, the News of the World said it 'was not that the population of Taunton is more debased than other groups of the community, but that once vice got established it spread like a pestilence and unless held in check, threatened to spread indefinitely'.

Having worked with Bristol historian Jeanie Sinclair to uncover these stories, Tom Marshman will weave together history and hearsay and pay tribute to these brave men, whose stories mirror those of many around the world, even in 2019. The show will use vinyl music, creative technology and projection, and Marshman will also work with local historians in London, Newcastle and Chepstow to memorialise the forgotten histories of other LGBTQI+ people, highlighting the turmoil, stigma and heartbreak many faced. These stories will be explored through different wrap around activities, including exhibitions and post-show talks.

Tom Marshman said, "Now I have been touring the show I have started to explore more stories that echo the trail I have focused on in the show. I have noted that in many locations these kind of witch hunts were part of the course of the repressed atmosphere of post-war gay lives before legalisation. I am excited about working with local people in London, Chepstow and Newcastle to uncover queer stories that we will build into a pop-up exhibition to accompany the performance; adding a local dimension brings the story to life and makes it more relevant to local audiences.

Jeanie Sinclair said, "This has been such an exciting project to work on. Ordinary people have extraordinary stories and it's been a fascinating journey that has taken us to places we hadn't expected."

Tom Marshman is a performance artist who transforms everyday accounts into theatre by weaving together stories worth telling. He has created over 20 projects over the last ten years in a wide range of mediums including performance, photography, installation, publication and film. Previous work includes Kings Cross (Remix), based on the testimonies of those who lived and loved in the notorious London district in the 1980s, and Move Over Darling, which explored the personal and social histories of gay and lesbian adults living in Bristol. He has presented his work in a variety of venues including Bristol Old Vic, Arnolfini (Bristol), Oval House, Chapter Arts Centre, Battersea Arts Centre, Basement Brighton, Colchester Arts Centre, Exeter Phoenix and within Festivals including National Review of Live Art, Inbetween Time, and White Nights.

Jeanie Sinclair is a historian who works with archives and oral history, exploring hidden and alternative histories to tell stories of people who have been often been ignored or written out of history.

9 Aug
Margate
Margate Tom Thumb Theatre, 2A Eastern Esplanade, Margate CT9 2LB
7.30pm
www.tomthumbtheatre.co.uk | 01843 221791

13 Sep
Gloucester
Gloucester Strike a Light Festival, Enterprise Hub, 10 Commercial Rd, Gloucester GL1 2EA
www.strikealightfestival.org.uk

19 Sep
Chepstow
Chepstow Drill Hall, Drill Hall, Lower Church St, Chepstow NP16 5HJ
7pm
http://www.chepstow.co.uk/Chepstow-Town-Council/The_Drill_Hall_11238.aspx | 01291 626370

27 - 28 Sep
Brighton
The Marlborough, 4 Prince's St, Brighton BN2 1RD
7.30pm
www.marlboroughtheatre.org.uk | 01273 570028

2 - 4 Oct
London
Camden Peoples Theatre, 58-60 Hampstead Rd, Kings Cross, London NW1 2PY
9pm
www.cptheatre.co.uk | 020 7419 4841

19 Oct
Portland
Isle of Portland Royal Manor Theatre, 138A Fortuneswell, Portland DT5 1LT
7.30pm

www.royalmanortheatre.co.uk | 01305 860792

7 - 9 Nov
London
Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
8pm
https://www.bac.org.uk | 020 7223 2223

13 Nov
Colchester
Colchester Arts Centre, Church St, Colchester CO1 1NF
8pm
www.colchesterartscentre.com | 01206 500900

16 Nov
Exeter
Exeter Phoenix, Gandy St, Exeter EX4 3LS
www.exeterphoenix.org.uk | 01392 667080

23 Nov
Corsham
The Pound Arts Centre, Pound Pill, Corsham SN13 9HX
7.30pm
www.poundarts.org.uk | 01249 701628

26 - 30 Nov
Newcastle
Alphabetti Theatre, St James' Blvd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4HP
7.30pm
www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk | 0191 261 9125

Coombe Farm Studios, Dartington Hall Trust and funded by Arts Council of England and Heritage Lottery fund with additional support from Bristol Old Vic Literary Department. A Haunted Existence is supported by The Island, Watershed, Strike a Light, Tobacco Factory Theatres and Performance Space.