A partnership between two of Coventry’s most iconic visitor attractions will help an upcoming play make a splash this month.
Swim, Aunty, Swim! a new Belgrade Theatre production written by the city’s Siana Bangura, is a poetic story of friendship, loss, sisterhood, motherhood, and the sublime power of water.
With water being a key part of the story’s narrative, it was decided by theatre bosses that bringing in a professional swimming teacher would help the cast and directors bring a feeling of authenticity to the water scenes in the production.
Enter Michelle Wooldridge, a swimming instructor for CV Life working out of venues across the city including The Wave.
Michelle is familiar with teaching all ages, from babies, to school children to adults aged right up into their 80s.
When approached to help actors from Swim, Aunty, Swim! get to grips with water, she was only too pleased, so she led the cast of the play in a number of swimming lessons at The Wave and at The Belgrade.
“I love my job and the feeling that I’ve helped people and made a difference,” Michelle said. “Having said that, I’ve never worked with actors helping them with their performances before so I was a bit nervous.
“But I really enjoyed it – the cast were so engaging and completely got into it when they got in the water. I also went to the studio at the Belgrade to show them how to do front crawl, backstroke and a bit of butterfly out of the water.
“I gave them lots of tips and advice, showed them how they should look when doing certain things – I’m looking forward to seeing them take away what I taught them and seeing how they turn it into something artistic.”
Playwright Siana said: “It has been such a pleasure to connect with one of our local community hubs, The Wave, to help bring the world of ‘Swim, Aunty, Swim!’ to life.
“The instructors, including Michelle, have been crucial in helping us further our understanding of movement in water and replicating that essence on stage. One of the beauties of theatre is how you can find the stage everywhere, including at a local pool!”
Swim, Aunty, Swim! follows Fatu who is in search of a new life and a fresh start. Leaving London behind, she makes her way to Coventry, where she forms a friendship with fellow members of her new church, Aunty Blessing and Aunty Ama.
This fiery, entertaining, and sharp-witted duo of West African women in their prime, are also navigating changes and transitions in their own lives.
What begins as light-hearted fun and a distraction from the mundane routine of life and church, becomes a ritual of healing and rebirth, after a season of grieving.
On Ama’s whim, the three of them embark on a watery challenge that might just send them out of their depth.
This heartwarming and powerful new play, is where West Africa meets the West Midlands in a truly universal story that will connect with everyone.
Swim, Aunty, Swim! will have its world premiere at The Belgrade Theatre Coventry on Monday 20 May until Saturday 1 June, with a national press night on Thursday 23 May.