New Wolsey Theatre releases ‘SCRUBS’ – a short film made as part of the StoryLine project

24 Jul 2020 News, Press Release

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We’re so excited to be releasing our first creative project based on work submitted to our StoryLine initiative by a member of the public. Scrubs (above) is the story of a seamstress who sews magical garments and who finds her calling in the midst of a pandemic. The 6 minute (approx) film has been transformed by creative New Wolsey staff into a video with animations, music and narration. Captions are available on the video above and the British Sign Language interpreted version can be viewed here.

Scrubs, written by Heidi McEvoy-Swift, a local to Suffolk, has been based on her experience of lockdown and of her participation in the work of the Facebook group ‘Sew Scrubs for West Suffolk Hospital.’ You can view Heidi’s website here: https://www.mcevoyswift.com/

Heidi says:

‘I began making scrubs when I saw the post from Sew Scrubs for West Suffolk Hospital Facebook page and contacted them. They were co-ordinating fabric and pattern distribution and I knew I could contribute time and skill so I did… 

A friend described the story as ‘a contemporary fable’ and that’s about the sum of it. A moment in time and space that was true to me as I wrote it and hopefully resonates with anyone else who found themselves making scrubs, or reinventing their work during lockdown. I love the way Tony and Pete presented it as a big thank you to the NHS; that makes it really special to me.’

Volunteers have been using their time at home to stitch together various items of clothing and textile equipment to support NHS and healthcare workers for West Suffolk Foundation Trust, in partnership with WISH. The heroism and quiet courage of these healthcare workers is woven delicately into the story, showing the extent to which they are inspiring the world, both emotionally and creatively.

StoryLine is a project that we started at the beginning of lockdown, wanting to keep our community of theatregoers and creatives connected and to keep ideas flowing. Open to the public, StoryLine is a dedicated phone line where people are invited to call 01473 760799 and leave a message. It could be anything from a short story or a poem to how you are feeling during lockdown, or even a secret you have never told anyone else. It is an opportunity not only to get creative but to inspire future artistic projects. Callers will have approximately 2 minutes to tell their story, which will then be listened to by the New Wolsey Creative Learning team and potentially used for a project, for example, an actor performing it or the commission of a poem based on your story. Calls cost your usual landline call rate and any potential work created won’t reveal your identity without your permission. For those who would prefer to email, writing can also be sent to StoryLine@wolseytheatre.co.uk.