WANTING A PIECE OF BRITNEY

A piece of Britney

Britney Spears is coming to Bath. Well, it’s actually a show called Saving Britney, written by local writer and director David Shopland. Emma Clegg investigates and finds not just Britney, but Aristotle, John Cleese and Sean Connery

The narrative arc as we know it today all comes from Aristotle and his book Poetics. The set-up, the inciting incident, the crisis, the climax and the resolution. Those are the five points that you hit.”

Writer and director David Shopland is explaining how every story we tell –in books, film or the theatre –has a natural pattern. “It’s amazing how difficult it is not to follow. Even if you’re trying to write something really radical you will always end up falling into that pattern because it’s human nature –that’s how we’re programmed in terms of how we want to be engaged by a piece of work, and if you put anyone’s real life against that kind of structure it will hit those kind of points.”

Britney Spears’ life (and she’s only 39) has already had plenty of narrative drama, and it’s been played out in a very public forum. But David’s new production, Saving Britney, at the Rondo Theatre from 23–24 July, isn’t so much about Britney herself as about the cult of celebrity and how powerful the idea of a public figure can be.

“I’m not particularly a huge Britney Spears fan,” says David, “but I’d started to see these underground rumblings about her, just before the Framing Britney Spears documentary by The New York Times came out in February.”

The documentary examined how the singer has been treated by the media and those around her over the years and shone a spotlight on the conservatorship the singer has been under since 2008, which means she is not in control of large parts of her life.

“What I found fascinating about the reaction to that film and the #FreeBritney movement was that it conjured up a lot of things about the relationship between a fan and a performer or celebrity. I saw this really interesting dynamic where Britney is being trapped from both sides. She’s got these pretty awful managers and by all accounts not a particularly nice father, and she’s been controlled by all these men. And the paparazzi have been dreadful to her. Then on the other side you have these amazingly vocal and passionate supporters whose hearts are in the right place, but never once has she actually said that she wanted that support.

“Around this time I came back to Bath to visit my folks and I ended up locking myself away in my old bedroom for a couple of days and the play just kind of came out of me. I wrote 16 pages in two days, and it became a story of this young millennial from the south west, a superfan who had spent her whole life thinking that she had all these things in common with Britney Spears.

“But the show itself is also about what it was like to grow up in the late nineties and early noughties –an era for which there is a lot of nostalgia –and it’s as much about finding your place in the world and how much weight you put on certain things and people, and how idolising strangers can help you at times but it can also be a hindrance. It’s also a very universal story, a story of finding your place in the world and feeling your way through life and how you become the person you become.”

The one-person show was devised with actor Shereen Roushbaiani who plays the role of the main character Jean. David revels in the format: “I am drawn to monologue plays. For me it’s a lot of freedom because there are far less logistical things to worry about and no other characters. As a director it’s inspiring because you’re not worrying about how many bodies are on stage and whether a sightline is being blocked. And you can be more creative with one person on stage. It also takes a very special kind of performance to engage an audience on your own for that amount of time.”

David trained with Shereen at Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance. “I remember being absolutely struck by her talent when I saw her perform,” he explains. “Shereen devised Saving Britney alongside me because I was conscious that as a straight white man I didn’t want to be writing a one-woman show about a pansexual millennial woman without any input from someone who lives in that sphere of identity. So she helped me bring an authentic voice.”

It’s not a musical, but there are moments where Shereen sings from Britney’s repertoire as part of the narrative. “There are seven interludes within the monologue that break up the action. They include slightly mashed-up versions of Britney songs, which follow her discography, so you get Hit Me Baby One More Time in the early part and as you go through you can see how the sound changed and that reflects the change in Jean as well.”

The stage set is simple, explains David. “We’re booked in to do a full regional tour in 2022, but neither of us can drive. So I had to think of a set that can look evocative and aesthetically pleasing but could also pack down into a giant suitcase. So we’ve got clothes rails and boxes which all fold down.

“It’s a representation of the bedroom of a nineties teenager with posters, and some of the iconic outfits from Britney’s career, so you’ve got the schoolgirl outfit from the Baby One More Time video, the red cat suit from the Oops I Did It Again video and the air

The show is about finding your place in the world ... and how idolising strangers can help you at times, but it can also be a hindrance ❝

hostess outfit from her Toxic video all hung up around the set.”

The storyline has also been adjusted as Britney’s own story has played out. “The end of the play changed fairly drastically only a couple of months ago based on an Instagram post that Britney put out, which alluded to the fact that perhaps she didn’t feel comfortable with all this attention. That idea has shifted the play a little bit, so it has been very much an evolving thing.”

The show launched at the prestigious Old Red Lion Theatre in Islington in May, where it played for three weeks to sold-out audiences, won rave reviews and was nominated for two OffWestEnd ‘Offie’ Awards for leading performer and direction. After its run at the Rondo, there is a full regional tour from January to March 2022 and a provisional booking at the Edinburgh fringe 2022. It may also be performed in Los Angeles, where Britney fever runs high.

Despite his travel itinerary David maintains strong local roots. He has strong memories of Dave Langley, his drama teacher at Prior Park School: “He was my first real big inspiration –he opened my eyes to how incredible theatre was and got me interested in acting.” David was also involved with the Rondo for several years, where he appeared in a number of plays and directed his first play there when he was 17. His company Fake Escape (which he formed and runs with two friends) also organise the annual 20:20 Vision New Writing project, part of the Bath Fringe Festival, which uncovers voices within the next generation of playwrights aged 18–30 and gives a public platform to writers who otherwise may remain unheard.

I ask David about how he approaches writing a play. Is there a process he follows? “Because I have always been completely immersed in the world of theatre from the age of 16, I’ve always written and directed and performed and produced, so I guess I approach it differently to playwrights who are just writers because I always look at it with a visual eye, and write for the visual medium. So there’s not really a linear process for me. I write to facilitate the creation of a show to be watched, rather than writing to write and working out how to put it on later.”

David comes from theatrical stock. His grandfather was an actor who played the part of the lumberjack standing next to John Cleese in the I’m a Lumberjack Monty Python sketch. He also shared a flat with Sean Connery for several years and both of them were friends with Roger Moore and Larry Hagman, before they became stars. David’s grandfather didn’t become famous, but it’s clear that he’d be overflowing with pride at the achievements of his grandson. n

Saving Britney is at the Rondo Theatre, Bath from 23–24 July. rondotheatre.co.uk

BOOGIE N BATH

St Saviours Junior Church School, Eldon Place, Bath BA1 6TG boogienbath.com; 07710 440071

Boogie n Bath is a dance school with a difference –it has three things at its core: fun, kindness and diversity. All children are welcome and each lesson includes a section on strength and flexibility. This is followed by technique training of core ballet, jazz, tap and ballroom skills. In the last two-thirds of the lesson the children learn an originally choreographed dance routine. Dancers will be given the opportunity to show off their talents in small performances at schools and on stage at a yearly show. The team know each child individually and love to see their confidence and abilities grow every week. School day classes each include a savoury snack, piece of fruit and homemade sweet snack, plus drinks. Boogie n Bath offers weekly classes, holiday workshops and birthday parties.

WIMBLEBALL LAKE

Brompton Regis, Dulverton, Somerset TA22 9NU swlakestrust.org.uk/activities; 01398 371460

Prepare for a summer of fun and adventure at Wimbleball Lake. Less than a two-hour drive from Bristol and Bath, Wimbleball is the perfect location for your next family escape. Try your hand at watersports, have a go at archery, swing from the high ropes or enjoy a tasty treat from the café. You can also extend your stay and camp onsite.

Whether it’s a day trip or a longer camping break, the lake offers the ideal escape for friends, family and couples. For more information or to book activities and camping visit South West Lake’s website.

HESTERCOMBE GARDENS & GALLERY

Cheddon Fitzpaine, Taunton TA2 8LG hestercombe.com; 01823 413923

Nestled at the foot of the beautiful Quantock Hills AONB, Hestercombe Gardens features a stunning collection of historic gardens, steeped in history and bursting with wildlife. A visit should include a meander through the splendid Georgian Landscape Garden, followed by the vibrating colours of the formal gardens, designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Edwin Lutyens. Lose yourself along the cool rills, or under the picturesque pergola, adorned with fragrant roses and lavender.

The whole family will enjoy Hestercombe, with 50 acres of gardens to explore, two play areas, a café and restaurant, gift shop, and plant centre, plus art exhibitions at Hestercombe Gallery. During school holidays there are fun-packed activity days for children. See the website for more information and tickets.

Photo by Chris Lacey

ULTIMATE ACTIVITY CAMPS

Prior Park College, Ralph Allen Drive, Bath BA2 5AH ultimateactivity.co.uk; help@ultimateactivity.co.uk; 0330 111 7077

Here’s some ultimate holiday fun offering something for every child. Whether your child likes is active, wild about the outdoors, a budding creative or mad about sport, Ultimate Activity Camps at Prior Park College have something for every child aged 4–14 years.

The camps offer the opportunity for children to have fun, meet friends and learn new skills during the holidays. They run at some of the best independent schools, which offer first-class facilities including indoor heated swimming pools, large sports halls, designated art rooms, and lots of outside space for fresh air fun. Over 40 activities include swimming, combat archery, pedal karts, fencing and more.

Visit Ultimate Activity Camps’ website for specific dates, other locations, special offers and more information.

Williams F1: the drivers and the driven

Chris Copson, Head of Collections at Haynes International Motor Museum’s tells the story behind an exclusive new exhibition, which uncovers the story of Williams across decades of cutting edge Formula 1 competition.

To anyone with even a slight interest in motor sport the name of Frank Williams will be familiar. He founded the home-grown F1 team Williams Racing which was until recently the last ‘family’ team left in the sport.

As a driver, Sir Frank Williams had a reputation of being lightning fast but not always staying on the road. He frequently rolled cars including on one occasion his mother’s Morris 1000. Frank stopped racing in 1967 and started his journey to creating a world renowned F1 team in partnership with engineer Patrick Head.

Over the years the Williams team has won nine constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles, with driving legends such as Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.

With historical photography and footage from the Williams F1 Heritage collection, paired with research from the museum’s team, this exclusive exhibition captures the incredible history of Williams and the excitement of the sport. No matter what the visitor’s knowledge of F1 may be, there is something to learn and enjoy throughout.

You can get close to some of the most iconic Formula 1 cars in Williams’ history, such as Nigel Mansell’s FW14 or ‘Red 5’ and Damon Hill’s FW17. One thing that is immediately noticeable is how the cars, which truly are spectacular aerodynamic wonders of technology, have evolved over the years.

Williams is, of course, part of a wider story, the sport itself has also changed beyond recognition, from a minority interest for the true enthusiasts into a global phenomenon that rivals the Olympics in terms of popularity. In order to give context to the exhibition, dedicated areas explore the wider connected stories such as the history, glamour and culture of Formula 1.

Chris Copson, head of collections commented: “The social history surrounding the sport is fascinating and will be quite a nostalgia kick for some. We explore back to the days of the 1970s and the boisterous charms of James Hunt, all the way through to the modern day F1 drivers such as Lewis Hamilton with huge salaries, yachts and apartments in Monaco. It also wouldn’t be a story about F1 if we didn’t look at some of the amazing locations of the tracks, from the glamour of oil rich Bahrain to Sao Paulo, where multi-million pound cars race with a background of desperately poor favelas.”

Formula 1 racing has also been a soberingly dangerous sport in which numerous drivers have lost their lives. In the years before 1970 there was very little in the way of safety rules. Indeed fire-resistant clothing was only introduced in the 1970s. The increased focus on safety in the sport can only be appreciated when you look across the decades where there is a demonstrable correlation between increased safety measures and the decline in fatalities. Racing fatalities went from 23 recorded deaths before 1970 to just one fatal crash in the last 10 years. The Williams team was sadly not a stranger to dangers behind the wheel; off the track Frank Williams was involved in a road accident in 1986 which left him in a wheelchair after breaking his neck and Williams F1 suffered a terrible blow in 1994 when Ayrton Senna suffered a fatal crash at the San Marino Grand Prix.

Although the danger still remains today, a crash that would have been fatal in the past is now very much survivable, partly due to regulations and rules but also because car design and construction is now centred on crash survivability and saving lives. Illustrating this within the exhibition is the original monocoque driver cell of one of Pastor Maldonado’s cars which was involved in a dramatic crash during the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix. The carbon fibre monocoque is twice as strong as steel, five times lighter and almost indestructible. Maldonado escaped with minor injuries.

Chris Copson added “Irrespective of whether you are a die-hard F1 fan or not, this exhibition is packed with fascinating stories, facts and figures with something for everyone.” ■ • Williams F1: The Drivers and The Driven exhibition is open to the public at Haynes International Motor Museum in Somerset every day from 10am. Pre-book visit at himm.co.uk or call 01963 440804.

WE THE CURIOUS

1 Millennium Square, Anchor Road, Bristol BS1 5DB wethecurious.org; 0117 915 1000

Have you ever wondered why rainbows make you happy? Why time flies when you’re having fun? Whether there’s another you out there in the Universe? Step inside We The Curious this summer and explore what it means to be human in their stunning new experience Project What If. Inspired by seven intriguing questions, the science centre’s transformed ground floor features 68 new exhibits and 25 art pieces. Marvel at the beauty of our brains, see what you look like in slow motion, turn invisible. Then head upstairs for mythical eagles and meteor showers in the UK’s only 3D Planetarium. Open 10am to 5pm every day of the school holidays. Booking in advance essential. Visit the website for tickets!

SOCCER SHOOTERS

Ralph Allen School, Bath BA2 7AD soccershooters.com/bath-holiday-clubs

Soccer Shooters –football engagement and enjoyment specialists –is delighted to be hosted by Ralph Allen School during this summer holiday.

Football Fundays are a really popular and fun way for children from Reception to Year 7 to learn football skills, social skills, build confidence and self-esteem. The Fundays are a mixture of fun games, football matches and mini tournaments.

Soccer Shooters combine top-quality coaching with a relaxed and inclusive environment, enabling children of all backgrounds and abilities to sharpen their football skills while also learning life skills that will serve them well, no matter what they want to do in the future. Book soon to avoid disappointment!

BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS

College Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA bristolzoo.org.uk; 0117 4285300

Bristol Zoo Gardens is the perfect fresh-air destination for summer with over 12 acres of outdoor space and the chance to see animals from all over the globe, including many endangered species. Spot adorable youngsters including two western lowland gorillas, a sloth and a tiny mouse deer, among 400 other incredible species.

There’s fun to be had for all the family; kids can run wild in the adventure playground and big and little adventurers alike can climb, clamber and swing through the air in the thrilling aerial ropes course ZooRopia.

Fancy a bite to eat? The Hide restaurant is open for eating in or takeaway! Visit the website to book online.

HAYNES INTERNATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM

Sparkford, Yeovil BA22 7LH himm.co.uk; 01963 440804

The multi award-winning Haynes International Motor Museum is truly a must-see attraction for the whole family, with brand new exhibitions to explore this year including Williams F1: The Drivers and The Driven.

Home of the UK’s largest collection of cars and motorbikes you can get up close to some of the very first cars invented in The Dawn of Motoring; learn how a car works with the working cutaway; explore reds around the world in the famous Red Room and feed your need for speed with some of the most iconic Formula 1 cars in Williams’ history. There is plenty to keep the whole family entertained with interactive pitstops, an onsite café and a fantastic outside playground. If you are feeling competitive, the onsite Karting at Haynes track (booked separately) is also open for a fun family race. To book your family day out this summer visit the website or call the museum directly.