Theatre show on streets of city centre will see property developers v protestors

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Nov 10th, 2022

Over six days from 15 – 20 November an ambitious new theatre show, A Proper Ordinary Miracle, will take place across Wrexham city centre.

Created by, with, and for local people, the show asks who can call Wrexham home, putting the fate of the city, its people and its future in the audiences’ hands.

The story follows the arrival of a property developer with ideas to develop St. Giles church into luxury apartments in the centre of town. As the machines move in, a rebellion is born and lines between protest and power are drawn.

Organisers say the show will visit a number of city-centre locations, starting at St. Giles’ Parish Church and finishing at Henblas Square. Audiences will follow two different stories, one led by the property developer played by spoken word artist Martin Daws and one led by the ringleader of the protest group played by performance artist Chris Ingram. Audiences will come together at the end to share vegan soup provided by local community hub Yellow and Blue.

National Theatre Wales explain, “At the heart of A Proper Ordinary Miracle is co-creation. NTW TEAM – the company’s approach to engagement – has spent the last few years getting to know the local community, the people and the place, asking what issues matter to them most. They chose the themes of home and homelessness as inspiration for this project.

“Home can mean different things to different people. For some, it’s a place of safety and refuge. For others, the very idea of home is a source of instability and anxiety. It’s impossible to really understand the complex issues around homelessness without speaking to people who have experienced it. Listening to their stories has shaped A Proper Ordinary Miracle’s creative path.”

A creative team made up of director Catherine Paskell (Dirty Protest Theatre), Wrexham-based artists and NTW TEAM members Natasha Borton and Anastacia Ackers have worked with 68 actors – including Lottie Davies, Paul Kaiba, Chanelle Leung, Faye Wiggan – as well as hundreds of Wrexham local participants and community groups to weave their unique stories and creative skills with a fictional story of protest and resistance.

Natasha Borton said: “I want this to be a real moment for every part of our community. Each beat of the show takes inspiration from collaboration with local artists and musicians at the heart of our community. Through workshops and choir rehearsals we’ve embedded local voices across this show. The love and support is felt throughout the rehearsal room and beyond.

“This project is a dream come true. It’s an opportunity to reveal Wrexham’s identity on a national stage, from the comfort of our own streets”

Anastacia Ackers said: “Watching this project unfold over the past few years has been both a pleasure and a privilege. We can’t wait to share the stories of this city – with a town at its heart – with a wider audience and I’m excited for this co-created production to take to the streets.”

You can find out more and book tickets here – https://www.nationaltheatrewales.org/events/a-proper-ordinary-miracle

Summit Developments city centre promotion – are you suspicious or seduced by this by this Super Centre plan that could see “North Wales’ Tallest Tower”? ( more details: https://www.nationaltheatrewales.org/events/a-proper-ordinary-miracle ) pic.twitter.com/12wS5B1OUg

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) November 9, 2022

Performance dates and times

Preview: Tuesday 15 November – 7pm

Wednesday 16 November – 3pm

Thursday 17 November – 7pm

Guest night: Friday 18 November 7pm [BSL interpreted performance]

Saturday 19 November – 11am [Audio Described performance]

Saturday 19 November – 3pm [BSL interpreted performance]

Sunday 19 November – 7pm

Sunday 20 November – 3pm [Audio Described performance]

Sunday 20 November – 7pm

Approx. running time: 1hr 45 minutes

Performance start location:

Former Nationwide Building, 1-2 High Street, Wrexham, LL11 1AF

Tickets are pay what you decide

For all performances of A Proper Ordinary Miracle, audiences can choose to pay a price that works for them. There are multiple prices to choose from. NTW knows price is a barrier for some, so those who can afford to pay a little more for their ticket will help us to support those who can’t.

Creative team

Director – Catherine Paskell

Assistant Director – Natasha Borton

Assistant Dramaturg – Anastacia Ackers

Co-designer – Jacob Hughes

Co-designer – Ruby Pugh

Co-designer – Sophia Leadill

Co-designer – Charlie Woods

Lighting Designer – Ceri James

Sound Dramaturg – Yasmine Latkowski

Sound Dramaturg – Andy Hickie

Musicians