Talking The Welkin with directors Margery Jackson and Jen Ruta
Lucy Kirkwood’s The Welkin opens at Wokingham Theatre this October. A thrilling, expansive drama set in rural Suffolk in 1759, where twelve women are at the centre of a life-or-death decision during a murder trial, juggling the weight of a system that was never designed for them to question.
We’ve sat down with its directors, Margery Jackson and Jen Ruta, to hear what audiences can expect from the next show coming to WT.
Without giving too much away, can you tell us what The Welkin is about?
Margery: It’s about the trial of a young girl in 1759, who has been accused of murder. But she’s claiming to be pregnant, therefore she cannot be hanged for her crimes, she should be deported. So the court has called a jury of matrons, 12 local women of child bearing age, to try and decide whether the girl is indeed pregnant. This is a practice that really happened in England for quite a long time, gathering a jury of local women, to deal with this particular issue.
How have rehearsals been so far?
Jen: They’ve been thrilling and really educational. One of the things I love about this play is although it’s a woman-led cast, there are no female archetypes here, and no heroes. Many of the moral issues are still so relevant today, and I love that, because it’s so complicated. This play is messy and its thorny, it feels like real life. And it’s very funny in places! I am learning so much from Margery, so I’m very grateful to Wokingham Theatre for giving me this chance to be her Assistant Director. I’ve been asked to direct another play elsewhere, and I am sure it’s largely due to the credit of having done it here.
Margery: When I first read it, I found it difficult to assimilate exactly what happens, because these women are so earthy. It’s very woman-oriented. But character wise, they’re all bringing such beautiful, individual performances. We have different ages, and different backgrounds, and they are really coming across in these characters. For me, having directed operas and musicals where you have a chorus or mostly nameless people, this is so different! We have so many individuals up there, bringing their backgrounds and lives to life. They have similarities in that they all have marriages and experiences of motherhood, looking after their own land etc, but they also are so unique.
So you’re really embracing the ensemble, this isn’t about one person?
Jen: Absolutely. The cast have done a huge amount of work to develop their own individual characters. They’ve developed these really complex backgrounds and inner lives, which is wonderful. They’re nearly all always on stage together, and we have to have that sense of them as being real individuals, so I love listening to their conversations, the different ways they interact with each other when they aren’t being featured in the main action of the scene, and how they do that without pulling focus. It’s just lovely.
What are the central themes of the play, and how do you tackle some of the more challenging parts?
Margery: It’s about what makes these women tick, about the lives they live and the prejudices they hold, and the problem they have with this girl herself, who has been accused of murder. They have to make this decision together, but at times they are completely divided. They’re visited by a doctor, who does an examination, and they have to accept what he says. And then we’re left with the conundrum of how to feel.
What can audiences expert in terms of prodcuton?
Jen: I think they can expect to go away talking with their friends about who these characters are and what redemption they deserve. Because everyone is complicit in some way; no one is truly innocent. So there’s this huge question over whether justice has been served and what we owe to each other, especially in a community so small. I’ve read this play a hundred times by now, and I am still not sure what I make of the ending really.
Margery: The ending is difficult. I’ve still not really come to terms with it, because the story is shocking. But I hope audiences feel they’ve been honestly introduced to these women, and to what life was like for them.
Why do you think the play is still relevant today?
Jen: One of the most relevant themes for me is the loss of bodily autonomy for women, especially with Sally and the way she’s poked and prodded while they’re trying to decide if she is pregnant or not. With things like the overturning of Roe Versus Wade in America, it feeld like women’s respect is at risk. So this play offers that conversation about the way women’s bodies are treated, and about maternity care, and how we still have a long way to go.
How have the cast been during the process?
Margery: Oh they’ve been absolutely great. The ambience between them, the camaraderie, and the ideas they all bring. The mixture of ages is such fun, because they all bring different perspectives.
The Welkin runs at Wokingham Theatre from Wednesday 14 to Saturday 24 October. Tickets can be purchased here.
This show contains strong language, upsetting themes, and scenes some audiences may find distressing. You can find further guidance at the link below. Please be aware that by reading this, elements of the plot may be revealed. These may be updated nearer the time of the production as staging details are confirmed.