Surprise
Written by Rich Chilver
Director – Tom Edwards
Trevor – Paul T Davies
Fiona – Jenny Burke
Set design – Eileen Aldous and Stuart Brindle of East Media Productions
Filmed by Deadline Communications
Produced by Cassie Catchpole of Caravan Theatre
Part of #TogetherWeCan, Do You See What I See? Short theatre pieces about domestic abuse, commissioned by the Southend, Essex and Thurrock Domestic Abuse Board, made up of partners in Essex Police, Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea Council, Thurrock Council, NHS England, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, the National Probation Service, Essex Community Rehabilitation Company, the Crown Prosecution Service and Safer PlacesPerformed at Chelmer Shopping Centre Chelmsford in November 2016.
Commissioned by Essex County Council and Caravan Theatre to write Surprise (available here) a short play about domestic abuse to encourage perpetrators to seek treatment. Richard’s and two other plays were performed in a converted shop in Chelmsford. Over 250 saw the play throughout the day with a further 30,000 online, one member of the public identified as a perpetrator and approached a member of the team for help.