On an Outer Hebridean island, two postal workers struggle with an epic task: to sort the world's lost mail. When an unexpected package arrives, their private universe is torn open, revealing a double bass player, a Russian beauty, an abandoned baby, and a love story that might never find its ending. Through a 'professional' relationship so close that its complex undertones are never questioned, Paramour examines our need for stories, and how we use words both to communicate and to hide our real meanings.
Paramour was developed by Cassie Werber, Gilbert Taylor and designer Sophie Neil, through scratch nights and performances at the ROAR festival, The Blue Elephant Theatre, Camden People's Theatre Sprint Festival, the Pulse Festival and ultimately the Pleasance, Edinburgh. Along the way, the team worked with experienced directors Mike Alfreds, Jonathan Salisbury and Andrea Brooks.
Originally created with no budget whatsoever, Paramour eventually received a Research and Development grant from Arts Council, England. It toured to eastern England, and received acclaim from audiences and critics. A simple aesthetic - the entire set was constructed from lost letters - meant that the show was portable and metamorphic.
The show was inspired by our interest in stories, which we began to explore through writing letters to each other. We incorporated stories from Chekhov, from Chaucer, from the local paper. We found lost letters, old notes, faded photos. We collected objects. The music of Polish folk band Kroke provided us with inspiration, and featured in the performance.
