Miner’s Lamp brought our rich history to life
Published at 11:08, Thursday, 19 April 2012
AFTER a decade of performing their own unique brand of Cumbrian language theatre, a Whitehaven couple have hung up their lamps in retirement.
Alan and Eleanor Butler felt the best way to celebrate and preserve Cumbria’s rich Old Norse history, language and culture was through drama, so The Miner’s Lamp Theatre Company was born.
And in their 10 years of performing sketches and plays at venues across the county, the Butlers have entertained and educated scores of residents through their motto – performing Cumbrian language theatre... in Cumbria.
“The title of the company was arrived at as a tribute to the many men, women and children who worked – and on occasion died – in the coal, lead and iron ore mines of Cumbria,” say Mr and Mrs Butler.
“Several of our plays and sketches have coalmining themes such as The Seal of Fate and A Day in August, while others have historical themes including The Cumbrian Macbeth and How the Vikings Came to Whitehaven, and others that have explored language.”
Alan wrote The Cumbrian Macbeth in 1990s and it was the desire to perform abridged versions of this story that encouraged the couple to set up The Miner’s Lamp in the first place.
The company’s theme tune is La’l Dinah Grayson, inspired by a poem of the same name by Dr Alexander Craig Gibson, who was born in Harrington in 1813 and served his medical apprenticeship in Whitehaven.
“We have always tried to inject humour into our plays and sketches, wherever appropriate, and it has given us great pleasure to go regularly to clubs, societies and residential homes and hear the audiences having a really good laugh.
“Highlights have included performing a 20-minute version of The Cumbrian Macbeth on the Queen’s Dock at Whitehaven Festival in 2005, performing A Day in August – a play about the William Pit disaster – at the Haig Museum in 2007, and performing West Cumbrian Views at Rosehill in 2009.
“We hope to carry on researching and investigating Cumbria’s Old Norse history and culture, with special regard to language, and who knows what linguistic and literary gems may yet be found.”
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk
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