In 2015 I was chosen to be a participant on South East Dance’s first-ever Producer Development Scheme. Halfway through the experience I was asked to reflect on what I’d learned or experienced up until that point. I wrote the following essay, which was featured on the South East Dance...

“IT’S INTIMATE, THOUGHTFUL AND PERSONAL AND, IF YOU’RE A THEATRE-GOER WHO LIKES THEIR PERFORMANCE HONEST AND RAW, THEN THIS ONE’S FOR YOU.”

…the studio hosts Rove, J Fergus Evans’s show using poetry and folk music to explore where we come from and who we are.

J Fergus Evans’ Rove untangles family facts from fictions at Shoreditch Town Hall tonight only.

J Fergus Evans’ Rove, about second stories and family myths, is at the Bike Shed in Exeter.

“THE PRODUCTION IS ONE THAT LINGERS THOUGHT-PROVOKINGLY IN THE VIEWER’S MIND AFTER THE FINAL WORDS HAVE BEEN SPOKEN.”

“J Fergus Evans’ Rove uses poetry and live folk music – and has been dramaturged by the incomparable Chris Goode – to create a dialogue with it’s audience and explore family ancestry.”

“ROVE IS CATHARSIS. IT’S CLEANSING AND MEMORY AND MUSIC AND PAINFULLY, ACHINGLY FULL OF LOVE.”

“IT RAISES SOME THOUGHT-PROVOKING POINTS ON THE NATURE OF FAMILIES AND THE TALES THEY HARBOUR.”

Family anecdotes and myths are explored through folk songs and poetry in Fergus J Evans’ Rove which is at BAC from tonight.

“EVANS’ FIRST COLLECTION CARRIES THE REFLECTIONS OF A MATURE AND DISCERNING WRITER WHO SAYS WHAT HE WANTS TO SAY ECONOMICALLY AND WITHOUT FUSS OR POLEMIC.”

“EVANS IS A CHARISMATIC STORYTELLER, DRAWING US INTO HIS GEORGIA, A PLACE WHICH IS BOTH REAL AND IMAGINED, WITH HIS VIVID IMAGINATION AND EAGER, SOFT VOICE.”

“EVANS’ LAIDBACK GENIAL STYLE MIXES ANECDOTE WITH POETRY AND PROSE, BEAUTIFULLY CONSTRUCTED AND CONVEYING A SENSE THAT THIS IS A GENUINE TWO-WAY SHARING OF CONNECTION AND MEMORY.”

“IT CREATES A WORLD SO ARTFULLY THAT YOU LEAVE THE THEATRE SWEARING YOU’VE TRAVELLED TO GEORGIA AND BACK.”

“ITS QUESTIONS ABOUT HOME, MEMORIES AND DISTANCE PACK AN EMOTIONAL PUNCH”

“REFRESHING IN ITS HONEST REJECTION OF FIXED DEFINITION, THIS SHOW IS DEFINITELY ONE TO WATCH OUT FOR.”