Too Much of Water

A Yorkshire Tragedy

It could be any town, really. And it could happen again tomorrow.

“Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia, and therefore I forbid my tears.”

Laertes, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

 

This intimate storytelling show explores the human impacts of flooding on ordinary people living in an ordinary town – and their struggles to remain resilient. It tells the story of the devastating floods that hit Shipley, West Yorkshire, on Boxing Day, 2015, and of the difficult aftermath.

The present-tense narrative is based on personal interviews with residents and business-owners who were directly affected. Simple props and a bolt of blue cloth are used to map out the River Aire and its surroundings, and to show what happened when the river burst its banks…

Too Much of Water takes about 35 minutes to perform, and always prompts much discussion in Q&A talk-backs afterwards. A participatory workshop that accompanies the show can be used to explore similar stories shared by audience members, in a safe and supportive way.

 

Too Much of Water was originally was commissioned for performance at the Saltaire Festival, in September 2016. It was presented outdoors, in an area of Roberts Park that had been underwater the previous December. Since then, the piece has been widely performed – for professional audiences ranging from insurance agents to flood risk managers, and in community contexts ranging from a Women’s Institute to a Working Men’s Club.

Please note: The film version pasted in above, shot in 2017, should be treated as archival documentation only. The piece is most impactful when seen live.

Get in touch

If you would like to host a performance of Too Much of Water, or if you have any questions, we would love to hear from you. Please fill out the enquiry form, and we’ll be in touch.

Credits

Too Much of Water (2016):

Written and performed by Steve Scott-Bottoms.

With directorial input from Simon Brewis.