Aunty Jen Productions is a theatre company based in Studley, Warwickshire that was born out of the first national lockdown in the UK.
It was developed from the Studley Isolation Support Group and is led by professional actress, producer and director Jennifer Rigby, who's character 'Aunty Jen' entertains many through stories and monologues during the periods of lockdown in the UK.
The company's first production - Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' - was performed on the back of a 40ft truck in a bid to entertain a community emerging from lockdown in a safe way.
After a successful first production, Aunty Jen Productions then looked to put on a socially-distanced pantomime of 'Sleeping Beauty' in an effort to keep the Christmas spirit alive for their local community.
In the series of interviews below, discover how this small company, just looking to bring joy to their community during a difficult time, fought through many ups and downs to arrive at a not so happily-ever-after.
But this is not the end for them. As always, #TheShowMustGoOn
The First Interview - November 2020
I first talked to Jennifer Rigby, Artist Director of Aunty Jen Productions, in November 2020.
Although in lockdown, government guidelines still allowed for rehearsals of her pantomime to take place in anticipation of an opening night on December 12th.
I spoke to her about how her company came together, the community support and why she felt the arts industry was as important as ever during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Second Interview - December 2020
The next time I spoke to Jen, the situation had changed.
After the last time we spoke, I had hoped government guidelines after the lifting of lockdown would allow me to able to attend a rehearsal of their production on December 6th.
The guidelines were a lot worse than expected and instead Aunty Jen Productions saw their whole pantomime being put on hold due to a surprise Tier 3 announcement for their town.
I spoke to Jen about how she handled the news, her plans for streaming the broadcast and her hope for the next government announcement.
The Third Interview - January 2021
A further announcement that saw Studley staying in Tier 3 meant the cancellation of the socially-distanced pantomime for the holidays.
After looking to put on a production that would improve Christmas spirits within her community, I spoke to Jen after the holidays to see how the cancellation of the pantomime affected her, the cast and the community around her.
And also, why she wasn't going to forget her dream of putting on this show for the community.
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