Death of An Island Girl
Taken From The Grimsby Evening Telegraph January 1997 - Eila Rana (Arts Reporter)
Wednesday 29th January 1997
The Caxton Youth Theatre presents another hard-hitting production from playwright Andy Evans, following the success of What's The Difference between A Donkey And A Mule?
Death of An Island Girl, a new one act play is the story of Maria Corazon, a young girl from a remote island who takes up domestic work abroad to help her put food on her family's table. A crime committed in retaliation to the abuse she suffers at the hands of her employers, puts her and the whole system of domestic service on trial.
The production runs from Thursday January 30th to Saturday February 1st.
Friday January 31, 1997 - Eila Rana (Arts Reporter)
Power To The People
Death of An Island Girl is a hard-hitting play that reminds us that slavery didn't die with the black rights movement in America. Another time, another place, another name.... the new Caxton Youth Theatre production proved the misery and horror of sub-ordination doesn't change.
Written and directed by Andy Evans, the production premiered last night at the Platform, the new venue within the Caxton Theatre. Based on a true story that broke two years ago, the play follows the plight of Maria Corazon, a 15 year old girl from a large, poor family.
Hoping that she can return the love of her family by earning to put food on the table, the naieve Maria is duped into the degradation of domestic service in a strange country. She finds that she can take the verbal and physical abuse from her employers, but rape is more than she can bear. Without any rights or protection, Maria finds self-defence is a luxury she can ill afford.
The topic is big, the questions it throws up are even bigger. The sparse but dramatic stage set and black costumes stripped the subject of any distracting details forcing the audience to confront it head on.
It is often said that actions speak louder than words, but when the actions are repeated on thousands, if not millions of servant girls throughout the world, the danger of desensitisation looms.
It is in the personal words of each victim that may just be different enough to catch one's attention. The power of this production lay in the moments when the characters spoke to the audience, their words moving enough to send a shiver down the spine
The Caxton Youth Theatre has handled this sensitive and controversial topic in an admirable way. Everyone in front and behind the scenes should be applauded.
Cast:
Maria (Laura Kearsey)
Michael (Matthew Doyle)
Monique (Katie Moore)
Ricardo (Shane Traill)
Jeanine/Reporter (Alex Tyerman)
Mr Isman (Richard Bacon)
Mrs Isman (Angela Helliwell)
Judge (Simon Blakey)
One of Maria's monologues
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