Productions
A biographical portrait of Jonathan Caddy through four significant phases of his life, based on interviews with him.
Four performers bring Jonathan’s memories and reflections to the stage, tracing a journey from childhood adventures to the challenges of adulthood. Intertwined with the story of the Findhorn community, the play explores family, belonging, connection with the natural world, and the unexpected currents that shape us.
This is a fundraising event. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Children & Families projects in Ecovillage Findhorn.
Date: Sunday 15 November, 7:30pm
Tickets: £10; children aged 16 and under: £7
NOT SUITABLE FOR SMALL CHILDREN
Livestream: The event will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.
THE BACKGROUND When Jonathan asked me for suggestions on how to celebrate his 70th birthday, I offered the one thing I felt I could offer: to write a play based on his life. For me, it was an opportunity to honour the roots of our community through the story of one of our Elders. Jonathan has witnessed the full arc of our community’s 64 years of existence. This is my first biographical play. Writing it felt like entering someone else’s family home and moving through a space that is intimate and charged with emotional memories. You tiptoe through the rooms, linger over the photographs on the mantelpiece, sit in their chair, touch the clothes hanging in their wardrobe, smell the roses in the vase on the dining table, and allow a story that is not yours to envelope you with its fragrance, its sounds, its light and its shadows. It has been an incredibly inspiring and nourishing experience. I hope I have managed to capture the essence of Jonathan’s life and that, by bringing it to the stage, we can inspire the younger generations and bless the future of our community. After all, a theatre piece is a living prayer and a bold wish.
THE PROCESS After an initial conversation, I interviewed Jonathan four times. We met in the caravan, and I could not have wished for a better setting. Each time, we focused on a particular period of his life: his childhood, his late twenties, his forties and fifties, and the present moment. I felt that the most effective way to bring these four phases to life would be to have four performers on stage. I was very lucky: Constantin, Findlay, Ben and David all said yes straight away. Each has been extremely generous, bringing to his part the sensitivity and depth the story needed. The aim was not to create four replicas of Jonathan, like four photographs capturing his exact likeness, but to sketch, with a light pencil, four portraits inspired by the child, the young man, the adult and the mature man he has been and is. I used Jonathan’s own words as much as possible, so the play is almost entirely verbatim, with a few adjustments for dramatic continuity and poetic effect. Jonathan read and approved the script before we went into rehearsals. I have been a little cheeky, though: I asked Eileen and Peter for their support… and I feel I received it.
EVERY STORY IS OUR STORY I believe that every story is our story, and theatre makes this visible. If we could embrace each other’s stories as our own, what a difference we could make in the world! Tonight is also an opportunity to turn that belief into something tangible. This performance is a fundraising event for the next generations of our community. All income, after expenses, will go towards projects for families and children.
CAST & CREW
Jonathan as a child - Constantin Eedle
Jonathan in his twenties - Findlay Wilson
Jonathan in his forties and fifties - Benjamin Eedle
Jonathan today - David Edgar
Lighting - Manuel Frenda
Sound & Video - Darren Mcghin