Embark on a theatrical journey into the past

Prittlewell Priory will once again ring to the sound of family life at the end of October as the Scratton family return to their former home in Pinpoint Create's new site-specific performance Priory People.  

Pinpoint Create invites Southend audiences to meet and be entertained by a family from a bygone era.

The free performance takes place in the beautiful, historic and newly refurbished Prittlewell Priory.

Set in 1914, it tells the story of a family reunion when four of the Scratton children who actually did live in the house, return to the now- unoccupied Priory as grown ups.

They look back to happy times spent there nine years before and recall the stories they invented for their very own newspaper, Priory Times.

Produced by Pinpoint Create, the company which brought the highly successful, open air production of Beowulf to Priory Park in 2011, Priory People promises to be a fascinating look back to bygone days and the history of this significant Southend family and life in the Priory. 

The production has received Heritage Lottery funding and is being supported by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council.

Performed by professional actors with support from a community cast drawn from South Essex College students, the performance will be devised from volumes of a newspaper which was written and illustrated by members of the Scratton family between 1901 and 1907 called The Priory Times.

The volumes of the newspaper, currently in the care of the Southend Museums Service.  are a fascinating insight into the late Victorian/ early Edwardian life of the family in Southend. 

Written by Tony Michaels, Priory People brings together many of the creative team behind Beowulf.

Colin Reed who played Grendal in the production will appear as Arthur the gardener in Priory People.

Pinpoint Create's resident composer David Stanley will be writing original music for the piece including songs to evoke the pre-war era. 

Expect unexpected revelations and surprises as the Priory comes to life with laughter, storytelling and song.

Director Mike Dodsworth, who worked on last year's Beowulf production, is very excited to be working at the Priory: 'We are delighted to be returning to Priory Park with the opportunity to create a site specific new piece of theatre telling a local story.'

In special education workshops leading up to the performances, schools from across Southend will discover more about Prittlewell Priory with hands-on sessions looking at objects from the period of the performance and looking at scientific inventions.

In a follow-up to their visit to the Priory, the schools will be visited by two artists who will help the students create their own Priory Times along with Victorian Postcards for an exhibition later in the year.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Culture and Tourism, Councillor Derek Jarvis said: "This magnificent venture will vividly bring to life the stories and the history of those who lived at Prittlewell Priory.

"We hope as many people as possible will come along to experience and enjoy this step back in time - made possible by the creativity and teamwork of a large number of people."

Priory People will run for four performances on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th October.

Shows will be at 11.30am and 2.30pm. They last around an hour, are suitable for all ages and everyone is welcome.

The performances are FREE but booking is essential as numbers will be limited.

Tickets are available from Southend Central Museum, Prittlewell Priory or reserved online at http://www.pinpointcreate.com/