Monday 23 August 2010

Compost Mentis in Shrewsbury

Compost Mentis (a play on the Latin phrase meaning not of sound mind) is actually a theatre production by the wonderful Whalley Rangers All Stars theatre company.  http://www.wras.org.uk

It features a gardener and a giant compost heap who slowly fall out over the course of the hilarious play.  Their relationship slowly begins to break down when it’s discovered that the compost heap has a life of its own and harbours thoughts that are fermenting within.

Puppet, mechanical and musical interventions ensure that the audience like the gardener are led up the garden path...

The play was recently performed in Shrewsbury town square with sponsorship from the local council as part of the Shrewsbury Summer Season of free live productions around the town centre to attract tourists and shoppers.

A crowd of around 100 gathered at each of the three performances throughout the day and with the summer holidays there was lots of young people there to educate too.  Volunteers from the Shropshire Master Composters group used this as an opportunity to link to the plays gardening theme and try to get more people interested in home composting.

Five of our volunteers laid on a display with wormeries and compost bins and display boards.  It was a great day with a huge amount of interest expressed and leaflets given out to hundreds of people who will hopefully go home and compost more off the back of this.