Trinity-based theatre company, Gift Horse, are currently gearing up to tour their production Tess, in compliance with social distancing and public health requirements.
Tess is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles, which tells the story of a young girl who leaves home to earn money and is assaulted by a man.
First performed in the Trinity Rose Garden in 2019, the play is told from the perspective of three villagers, each of whom have a different view of who Tess is and what happened to her. The play runs at approximately an hour and 45 minutes.
In conversation with The University Times, final-year drama student Signe Lury, who scripted the adaptation, explains: “I wanted to adapt [the novel] as I was reading it. I started working through it on my own, combing through the text and choosing bits I wanted.” This is the ethos of Gift Horse Theatre Company – to reinvigorate stories of the past and present.
Given the debate surrounding whether Tess of the D’Urbervilles is a feminist novel, this play examines one of its central events and examines its varied interpretations. Lury notes that she decided to write humour into the play to facilitate reflection on the material presented and provide further enjoyment for the audience.
“Overall, it’s quite self-aware and it has this quite metatheatrical framework that allows it to be fun and irreverent while still respecting the spirit of the original” she says.
One of the central tenets of Gift Horse is being environmentally conscious. The company makes every effort to offset their carbon footprint and reduce consumption by thrifting costumes, performing in outdoor venues and touring on a small scale.
With outdoor performance, Gift Horse aims to help reconnect people to their surroundings. “It’s such a lovely atmosphere, I think, going to outdoor theatre”, Lury says. “It definitely feels different to performing something inside, both for the performers and for the audience.”
Outdoor performance also allows for greater social distancing, while lowering the risk of contracting the virus by performing in the open air. “If you’re inside, you have a set space and you can only afford to have so many people in there if you’re distancing, whereas outside we can adapt the shape of the show and the number of people in there.”
One of the most important lessons Gift Horse has learned about making theatre during a pandemic is that consent is key.
“I wanted to make sure with the actors that if one of them had said ‘I want us to wear masks throughout the entire rehearsal period’, we would have done it”, Lury says. “I think it’s really important to listen to what people are comfortable with and what people’s circumstances are.”
In the coming days, Gift Horse will bring their production to Waterford, Wexford and Kildare bringing in a new audience and potentially inspiring those who might not generally frequent the theatre to further engage with it. Lury hopes that in light of coronavirus restrictions, outdoor theatre will become a prominent medium for the wider industry to consider, both to enhance the engagement of new audiences and to ensure the welfare of theatre makers and audience members alike.
Tess is touring Waterford, Wexford and Kildare from August 20th to 24th . Tickets are available via eventbrite on Gift Horse Theatre social media platforms. Tickets range from €15 to €50.
