"The Withered Arm"
Script-In-Hand’s latest presentation is a contemporary retelling of Thomas Hardy’s short story – “The Withered Arm” which was written in 1888 and set in Wessex, near his home town of Dorchester. We have transferred its location to Plymouth and the Tamar Valley.
Many of Hardy’s novels, poems and short stories dealt with sexually-charged topics at a time when subjects such as abusive relationships, rape, illegitimate children, adultery, and divorce were off-limits. Hardy challenged his readers to consider the destructive power caused by the patriarchal system, hypocrisy and double standards, making many consider him as one of the first English writers to represent life from the female perspective.
Script-In-Hand’s interpretation tells the same story of two women from very different backgrounds – the daughter of a London politician and a Rumanian migrant worker. Their fates become entwined as a result of the men who attempt to dominate their lives, leading to tragic consequences for an innocent child.
Later in the year, during November2024, we will be working on a series of short plays and monologues by local writers about city life, both past, present, future, positive and negative called “GIVE BACK” the theme being about community and neighbourhood support. This idea was prompted by a short play written by Ruby Nation based on an horrific murder of a young woman that took place whilst her neighbours struggled with how to react and who to alert- resulting in the implementation of a neighbourhood watch scheme.
If you are interested in being involved in either or both of these projects, please let us know.
Contact - plymdrama41@gmail.com
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