"A glorious tale of friendship and independence premiered at Bury Theatre Royal"
The Wisdom Club
The Wisdom Club by Danusia Iwaszko, premiered at Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds in February 2019, as the theatre was marking its bicentenary, having opened in 1819. A perfectly apt moment to stage a production championing and celebrating longevity - and wisdom.
With a cast including Liz Crowther and Souad Faress, sparklingly well-observed writing and beautifully natural acting, it was less like watching a performance and more like observing people living their lives - albeit so much funnier. A wonderfully - and worryingly - relatable story carrying the message of how the older generation is all too easily undervalued and dismissed, all wrapped up in a witty, touching tale of friendship and possibility.
Written by Danusia Iwaszko, this play was a really interesting one to both watch (it was so funny, honestly) and learn about. Everyone we spoke to passionately told us the back story of this show (developed with and from workshops with the elderly), but the ‘USP’ of this show was the fact it was written with real, genuine people in mind – something that’s really clear to see. The characters are three-dimensional and every interaction between them feels honest and true. The intention of this show was to challenge society’s perception of ‘old people’ and it could not have done a better job.
Polka Dot Theatre Blog
February 1, 2019