Jake Mace
Neurochemicals gone rogue, a pair of yellow sunglasses, T.S Eliot. What links all these things together? We caught up with Jane Williams, whose show What The Thunder Said is set to answer that question as she arrives at Dundee Fringe this weekend. When the Thunder speaks, will you listen? Join us for a pixelated pint as we find out what it’s saying.
You can catch What The Thunder Said on Friday and Saturday 21st and 22nd September from 14:30 at Sweet @ Keiller Centre. Tickets are available through the Dundee Fringe Box Office.
Jake: Hi Jane! Tell us about the journey you’ve been on in creating this show.
Jane: Looking back, the seed was planted over twenty years ago when I first encountered T.S Eliot’s The Waste Land at University. It’s a huge and at times obscure poetic work but once I’d sifted through all of that, I was left with a powerful impression of Eliot’s isolated characters staring into the void and somehow finding a way to keep going. It’s also a very theatrical poem with so many vivid, overlapping voices and realities.
Over the years I dipped into various theatrical explorations of the poem, from a solo physical theatre performance to a devised ensemble version. Post-pandemic, I found myself in my early forties, a working parent and in the midst of an intense period of creative reawakening. The final piece of the puzzle came when I connected with creative powerhouse, Di Sherlock, who encouraged me to write from my own life experience and focus on points of intersection between Eliot’s poem. What The Thunder Said is the result of our collaboration, in which we honor Eliot’s text but serve it up along with a healthy dose of dark humour, and stories from the frontline of my own neurochemical chaos.
Jake: So when we talk about the ‘thunder’, what specifically do you mean?
Jane: We all experience ‘thunder’ in our lives, in one way or another; the ominous, dark times that build, subside and, most probably, will build once again. The show charts my own experience of mental ill health from the earliest warning signals to the lowest lows. It covers the question of medication, the false recoveries, finding out what helps and what definitely doesn’t, and the ongoing attempt to limit collateral damage. It’s also about the power of creativity as a tool for mental health – the opposite of depression is expression, as I have learned through experience.
Jake: And what are you hoping the audience takes away from the experience?
Jane: Being able to open up and communicate honestly about what they are going through – that is my mission on stage, because mental ill health thrives on isolation. I now feel I have reached a place where I can safely share my experience with others. People may connect directly with the material, and others may gain an insight into the silent struggles of those around them. Ultimately, I want people to see that it’s possible to live a full, creative life and reclaim joy, even when the neurochemicals might have other plans. When the thunder speaks, lean in, listen up and hear what it has to say – it might not be pleasant, but it’s the silence that does the real damage.
Jake: Now that you’re gearing up for Dundee Fringe, what are you most excited for?
Jane: Dundee Fringe has been so well organised and supportive, and I am very happy to be part of such a thriving artistic community. The programme is filled with a range of innovative work – I am looking forward to seeing as much of it as I can, as well as sharing my own show with new audiences.
Jake: Fitting with the themes of our magazine, if your show was an alcoholic beverage (think cocktails, shots, beers, be creative!) what would it be?
Jane: Vodka on the rocks. A clean burn, stirring those dull roots, leaving you with a little buzz for life in all its complexity!
Phoebe Bakker
