| Message In A Bottle is a project based theatre company, working under the wings of established substance misuse charities but facilitated by ignition. The projects aim to work with the ‘Cindarella’ side of substance misuse: people who have experienced serious, primarily alcohol related difficulties. The performances are devised with the cast, based on their own experiences, and present their stories and experiences through character.
In early 2000 Message In A Bottle produced A Welsh Mystery, a one off show performed by residents of Dyfrig House residential rehabilitation unit in Cardiff, to a small invited audience of Welsh Assembly Members and service providers.
In 2001 Message In A Bottle did it bigger and better, creating Anonymous Land and touring it to four venues across South Wales, to service users and providers.
2003 saw the development of Dry Land, a virtual one-man show focussing on issues of memory, which also toured out to local residential rehabilitation units.
Message In A Bottle shows are not just a performance though - following each show there is a workshop element where the actors explore some of the issues through improvised scenes, and the audience is asked (gently!) to provide solutions to the problems shown. The Message In A Bottle style means that the characters are not just up on stage - they ask your opinion.
The development of each project takes place under the guidance of our members of our Associate Team and combines the theatrical process with a careful therapeutic awareness of how traumatic or painful the rehearsal process can be for this special group.
Message In A Bottle gives the voiceless a chance to make themselves heard, allowing service users to have some possible influence over the services which affect their lives. Because the performers have shared the experiences of the target audience, there is a strong potential for rehabilitative or therapeutic work based around the issues raised in the shows. We are always very interested in the possibilities for Message In A Bottle so please contact us at ignition if you have any ideas for how the project can run again.
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