Bermondsey Girl
Bermondsey Girl was a play presented by Age Exchange Theatre Company and performed in May 2015. It was based on the life of long time Age Exchange volunteer, Eileen O’Sullivan. Eileen’s story of growing up in Bermondsey in 1920s and beyond served as both a personal reminiscence but also explored many shared memories of the times and the place.
Rehearsals explored growing up in the streets of South London, the docks which dominated the area, local characters, the Second World War and building a life after the war.
The hope was that the production would not only reflect the personal reminiscences of Eileen but that those stories would reach out to an audience and prompt memories and stories amongst them so it becomes a shared experience. Songs were chosen that reflected the spirit of the times and new songs written by the cast based on scenes in the play.
The play was seen by a full house at The Bakehouse Theatre and filmed so that it can be shared again.
We will shortly be uploading the film of the play to Youtube and will place a link on this page then so the public can enjoy Eileen’s unique story.
We are grateful to May Stanley Smith Charitable Trust for making this production possible, as well as many projects in London care settings delivered by Age Exchange over the last four years.
