Facing The Waves is a new musical from Dogwood Productions whose recent shows have toured England and been heard on BBC Radio 4.
It features live songs and music from the award-winning, West End composer, Alastair Collingwood.
A story that stretches across the centuries, a timeless responsibility passed on from one generation to the next. The landscape and sea are unchanging, but life in a community facing the waves brings new challenges. The rough and the smooth.
The show brings together an iconic Victorian hero and a young mum, from the present day. Henry Freeman miraculously survived the Whitby lifeboat disaster when all the twelve other crew members perished, Faith is his counterpart, from a family steeped in the same tradition, juggling family, career and crewing the lifeboat. Will it be going off to sea or chips for tea? Ordinary people doing extraordinary things, putting the lives of others before their own.
Henry led some of the most extraordinary rescue attempts of the century, but was an outsider, questioned and shunned for much of his life. In the 21st century, the tide of tourists masks the challenges that characterises many of our beloved seaside towns. For Faith, there’s a brother struggling with that reality. For both, there are personal demons to be faced, redemption to be found.
In preparing the show, Dogwood, working with the BBC, conducted numerous interviews with communities along our north-eastern coast, capturing the memories, experiences and aspirations of those living by the sea to create an authentic tale.
Dogwood is honoured to be the official theatre partner for the RNLI as it celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2024.
Dogwood is a not-for-profit, Community Interest Company and features new music, street theatre and puppetry to create distinctive productions.
Facing The Waves is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Tickets: £12.50 for Adults and £7.50 for under eighteens are now available from:www.dogwoodproductions.co.uk and the Abbey Shop
Selby Abbey welcomes visitors daily from 10.00am to 4.00pm.
A full programme of all events and services at Selby Abbey can be viewed on the Abbey website: www.selbyabbey.org.uk