Why is Frome such a hotbed of creativity? It's a frequent question now that Frome is officially on the Hot List of places to live in England, and local luminary Matthew Graham was asked his view by Dan Biggane in interview for the Somerset Standard. Other than being old and hidden and hence evolving without outside interference into a unique identity, he had no solution. "Why is ultimately a mystery. Best not to question it, just be grateful for it." Matthew himself is one of those at the hub of our precious mystery, and his latest contribution to creative-crucible spirit of the town is Makeshift Musical, the stage show he wrote specifically for Merlin Theatre Company as a fundraiser. His brief ~ combining songs from widely different musicals within a storyline for the exuberant young cast ~ must have been as challenging as scripting Life on Mars but the result was a delightfully engaging tale of the city with some stunning individual performances and wonderful ensemble work, and a standing ovation on Saturday night for the final performance at the Merlin.

Sunday saw the annual Cheap Street Fun Day, this year merging with Frome's Super Market so access roads closed and the streets filled with performers and balloons and stalls selling everything from fantasy clothes to foods exotic and local,  the whole town transformed into a summer festival but with extra cheese sampling. Fabulous free music all day ~ Frome Street Bandits and Leander Morales here ~ and evening too, as another fantastic Jazz Jam at the Cornerhouse closes the first weekend of real summer...

Black Swan Arts new exhibition is a site-specific installation from Mark Karasick if you could see what i see through your eyes. Mark has created monolithic images of his parents through the ancient technique of encaustic painting of fragments carefully nailed together. Rose Flint's workshop for Words at the Black Swan focussed on the artist's theme of DNA streamed from parents making each child a new individual yet still linked to the past. We wrote relating this notion to ourselves and a fascinating range of responses emerged ~ they'll be posted on our facebook page. 

So, yes, why IS Frome such a hotbed of creative activity, filled with people of all ages ready to share their extraordinary talent with their community readily and usually with no or little remuneration...

Dan Biggane asked Rosie and me that too, in a great double-page spread about our Pub Theatre and current Nevertheless production from Frome Scriptwriters at The Cornerhouse: When She Imagines, on June 14th and 15th. We said... well you can read that on the paper's new website here!

First week's run of my play Mascara at the Alma Tavern Theatre has left me still reeling at the enthusiasm of audience feedback. Gripping, mesmerising, fascinating, totally absorbing, were frequently used words, along with believable, convincing, and - of course - brilliantly acted. "Worth seeing more than once" was also good to see, and appreciations of my intentions in choosing a real-life kidnap story: Excellent play, well researched and an interesting angle, cleverly brought humour into a dark subject... the way the play managed to mix humour and intensity wonderful, it raised a lot of profound questions in a very interesting way.
And I specially like this facebook review from Dave Clark:
"This is a very well acted and written two hander exploring the Natascha Kampusch story, with wider references to the nature of abuse within relationships, the meaning of love, and the role of 'victims' within society. We were gripped from start to finish - the climax has a visceral intensity which works brilliantly in this intimate space. Bloody Marvellous!"
Thanks to everyone ~ and to Jose Navarro for these evocative stills.

Back in Frome, Sunday is our annual Fun Day and streets are full of stalls selling pottery & beads, candles & retro clothes, vegan cakes & ewes cheese. There's a cup-and-saucer roundabout outside the petshop and a champagne bar by St Aldhelm's well where the excellent Pigeons are playing. My highlight is street theatre from SATCO with their mountaineering ascent of Cheap Street, gloriously achieving the summit at La Strada despite avalanches as onlookers smile and murmur "Only in Frome!" while they sip their lattes. Not true, of course, but perhaps only in Frome would the team be led by the town mayor who also smashed the mayoral chain competing in the CobbleWobble cycle race last year...
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