1983-1984: Casting Out

In early 1983 Graeae was contacted by Interlink about participating in a cultural exchange programme with an individual in India. Graeae assembled a team of 10 that would travel to India to present an entirely new play. The team was met with several roadblocks along the way. Perhaps most notably, the government support of the trip was revoked just days before the team was set to leave as the Queen announced she would be making a last minute trip to India. However, in true Graeae fashion, they took the trip anyway and performed for thousands.

Graeae toured in Bombay, Calcutta, and Delhi. Their audiences ranged from a group of 860 school children to members of the government including Mrs. Gandhi.

Following the incredible success of the production Graeae decided to tour it within the UK twice. Each tour had a slightly altered cast. The tour was met with rave reviews, and was a major turning point for the company in terms of reach. However, in May of 1984 the Brighton Pavilion cancelled Graeae’s performance due to lack of accessibility of the building. The venue was told of the nature of the production and the needs of the cast, creatives, and audiences when the booked the tour stop. Unfortunately the cast was blocked from performing and the venue refused to find a suitable alternative for the team.

A notable review stated: “Two months after the bill to increase the rights of disabled people has been thrown out of Parliament, the remarkable GRAEAE Theatre Co. have produced a play which powerfully demonstrates the need for such reform….A remarkable testimony to the talent of these performers and the most effective piece of agit-pop I’ve seen for some time.” -Ann McFerran, Time Out, Feb. 1984

Cast and Creative team for tours in India and UK:

Cast:
Frankie Armstrong (UK/India)
Jag Plah (UK/India)
Nabil Shaban (UK/India)
Jim Gibbins (UK/India)
Ellen Wilkie (UK/India)
Hamish McDonald (UK)
Tom Watt (UK)
Director:
Nigel Jamieson (UK/India)
Stage Managers:
Ann Hillyer (UK)
Caroline Oxford (UK)
Kevin Shaw (UK)
Tour Manager:
Ken Palmer (UK)

1988: The Cornflake Box

In 1988 Graeae presented their first community play, The Cornflake Box. The play was written by Elspeth Morrison and directed by Brian Thomas. The story focused on three friends attempting to navigate government regulations around accessible housing. The production was a direct response to the Independent Living Movement.

The Independent Living Movement was an international fight for the basic right to accessible housing. The Independent Living Movement in the UK grew out of Disabled people wanting to move out of institutional or medicalised housing and out into the community. In the United States, the Independent Living Movement grew out of Berkley, California where the first independent living centre in the US was founded.

Following the efforts of the Disabled community, the Independent Living Fund was introduced in 1988. The ILF provided vital support for Disabled individuals to live in the community. The ILF was closed in 2015.