Smoking APples theatre – we are more alike

Smoking Apples Theatre is a puppetry and visual theatre company.  They will be performing their latest show on 3rd and 4th August at Folkestone Harbour, with showings at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.  It’s free, so come along and find them at the end of the Station, near The Pilot Bar.  The ten-strong team have been working with Anne Morgan, a local author, on the script which is looking at all the people who come to Folkestone. George, Molly and Matt were building the set in Customs House before the performance so Folkelife met them to find out what to expect.

Molly: “Our show – We Are More Alike – is our first in our home town.  Folkestone has historically been somewhere people have navigated towards, come through, and sometimes passed on to other places. We’re looking at different times in our history through the eyes of two characters that have landed here in this steampunkesque contraption.  They need to work out why they’re here in Folkestone, with stories from the past, present and future, and then work out where they will go next.”

local partners

Matt: “We’ve been working with our partners at the Folkestone Museum to create different eras our characters will visit.  There’s a heavily embellished Iron Age story; then we look at the influence Folkestone had during war times with WW1 and WW2 and more recent events; then the third story is the day-tripper heyday era; and our fourth story looks at modern migration – why are people coming to Folkestone and why are they staying.”

George: “Our characters play with the audience and have a lot of fun.  They misunderstand quite a bit so the audience has to explain to them why they’re here and what the deal is.  Quite often, our characters are not on the same page as everyone else. 

“We cover everything from the DFL strand to migration of refugees and holiday makers.  Our work at the Museum has meant that we have testimonies from local people and so are using their words within the show.  You will be hearing real voices from people living in and around Folkestone.”

local artists

Molly: “All three of us live here in Folkestone so we’re trying to be neutral here.  There are local jokes that some people will get.  What’s important is to put across different opinions.  Which ever side you sit on, it’s important that you’re willing to listen to all perspectives. At one point in the play we bring out different coloured houses to represent these perspectives.”

Matt: “From the testimonies we have seen that people are welcoming. There’s been a history of people coming to the town; think about the Belgium refugees during the First World War, and it continues today.   Our plays aren’t necessarily controversial, but we do tackle complex issues, and puppetry and visual theatre has a way of presenting these issues in a refreshing way.”

George: “It’s not dumbing down, but it does soften the edges which makes having a conversation with people much easier.  At the end of each performance we stick around to speak to the audience. And these conversations might change what we present too.   This performance is happening in August, but we continue to work throughout the area and would like to take this show in some form to other place around the coast.  So it’s important to hear people’s thoughts.”

folkestone’s renovation

Molly: “I can remember doing a show here in 2019, here on the Arm, and looking at Folkestone and thinking ‘this place has changed.’  It really had grown from our first visit here in 2014.”

Matt: “We were rehearsing in the space that is now Bounce Vintage.  Many places on The Old High Street were closed and there was a big push to help artists work here. Coming back 5 years later you could really see the difference in the town.  It was raining too, which doesn’t make a difference, it’s still wonderful in the rain!”

George: “Also, what’s clear here is that there’s such a community that if you need something, it doesn’t take long to find someone who can help.  We have a workshop in Park Farm, and use Hannah and her laser cutter from R+R Jewellery.  Someone always knows a person who can dye some fabric or provide you with what you need.  It’s like being in a village again where everyone knows each other.”