Made in England - Suspension

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Suspension

Performed by Bristolians and written by Catherine Johnson (Mamma Mia), Suspension focuses on the repercussions of the breakdown in the relationship between a father and his children.

Radio Bristol worked with the Bristol-based author Catherine Johnson who wrote the global hit movie "Mamma Mia". Her latest play "Suspension" has ran for a month at the Bristol Old Vic. It was performed and produced by Bristolians. The play focused on the challenges of modern parenting, fractured families and the repercussions of the breakdown in the relationship between a father and his children.

The local BBC project took the themes of Suspension out into the community by holding a series of workshops targeted at people directly affected by family breakdown. In the workshops, these groups explored the play's characters and scenarios as a means of understanding behaviour through art. The workshop participants were invited along to watch "Suspension" on "Made in Bristol" night when they had the chance to take part in a Q&A with the play's director Heather Williams and Catherine Johnson.

Catherine Johnson said: "This is an exciting opportunity for me, as a playwright, to explore the issues raised by the play with individuals and groups who have found themselves in similar situations to the characters. The workshops open up the process of making theatre to a new audience and, hopefully, dispel the notion that theatre is in some way 'not for them'.

Catherine Johnson talks about the project

"We'll be covering the workshops and telling the stories of modern parenthood we have uncovered along the way. We want to use this Bristol play as a mirror to see if these characters genuinely reflect local family life and raise the discussion on what family means today."

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