CONTINUATION OF FRONT PAGE POSTS

On Human Folly: a play by John Woolman

This two-man play is presented by Plain Quakers theatre company. It was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2008 and then toured the country. It has also been seen in Ireland, France and the Netherlands.

On Human Folly raises difficult questions and provides a quizzical sideways look at token environmentalism. The play moves easily between the past and the present, and recounts the 1772 journey to England of John Woolman, the 18th century American Quaker, and his death in York that year. Woolman's story is told from the perspective of two historical Quakers who might have observed his progress, Caleb Marsden a Yorkshire tradesman and Samuel Galton, an important Birmingham arms manufacturer whose family was subsequently disowned by the Quakers. Woolman worked tirelessly to abolish slavery: three generations of Galtons sold weapons to slave traders.

A contemporary parallel to Woolman's story is provided by two mature present-day gents who imagine that re-cycling plastic bags will save the planet. The play challenges contemporary values; can we stop getting and spending long enough to think of the consequences of our thoughtlessness? Do we have too much 'stuff'? Is being green really the answer? The play asks the most important question you will ever have to answer: 'What did you do when you realised greed was killing the world?' There are no sermons, but a good story, some jokes, and some painful decisions.

Plain Quakers is an informal theatrical partnership. Using simple story-telling theatre and minimal resources, the company aims to raise awareness of Quaker concerns and traditions through plays that are relevant and accessible, and that encourage an active engagement with Quaker testimonies on peace, simplicity, and ethical living, in the context of contemporary global capitalism.

On Human Folly is written, directed and performed by Mike Casey and Arthur Pritchard. The play lasts about 55 minutes; the performance is usually followed by an open discussion on any issues arising from the play the audience wish to talk about.

Plain Quakers has received financial support from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and Quaker Outreach in Yorkshire. The company can be contacted at plain.quakers©yahoo.co.uk