Like a Soap on Stage
SADIE PITCHER
The final instalment of the staged drama DFL is set for an explosive ending at Ladies’ Parlour on the West Hill on Saturday 3 May.
With romance, fights, flashbacks and the backdrop of Hastings’ eventful calendar, DFL has followed ex-partners, Lydia and Noah, from the moment they unexpectedly bumped into one another after Lydia has moved to Hastings as a DFL or ‘down from London.’
A loyal audience has built up from the first instalment on Pirate Day last year, and community remains at the heart of the Hastings Theatre Project (HTP). They have collectively welcomed over 1,000 attendees to their DFL performances, and over the course of the year they have used their profile to support local artists and champion theatre-making in the town. “The idea that both audiences and artists have responded to something long term has kept us going,” says Dan, Artistic Co-Director of HTP.
Written by local playwright Nadine Passley, the ending of the six part romantic comedy has been influenced by its audience. “The play would not be ending how it is were it not for audience feedback … because of the way people have engaged in the story,” says Dan.
JUST COME ALONG
But you don’t need to have come to the earlier parts of DFL to enjoy the finale. “We want to be really clear to our audience, for people who haven’t seen any previous episodes, you can still come, and experience it as a one-off” says co-director Poppy Rowley. If audiences are keen to catch up, recaps are available on the HTP website.
Over the early May Bank Holiday weekend, Jack in the Green will be the backdrop to the final instalment. “Jack in the Green is about rebirth and renewal and looking forward to the year ahead. It feels like the ideal way of wrapping up this story … to provide maybe a little bit of hope,” Dan explains.
Alongside the final instalment, HTP will host a party to celebrate the end of DFL, to thank their audience and participants, and to discuss the future. “It will be a chance to celebrate that we’ve got to the end, to meet other creatives and just put a bit of a bow on the whole thing,” Poppy says.
3 May at West Hill Community Centre from 5pm. Tickets are free and include a glass of wine.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. You can also support local journalism by becoming a friend of HIP. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.
Leave a Reply