An in-complete film by Dave Brunskill of a dress rehearsal for a town play being put on by the people of Saltburn-by-the-Sea entitled ‘Scattering Nan.’ Inside a local church hall that is now the home of Saltburn Arts, adults and children get ready with several of them being asked about their parts. What makes this production different is that it is being performed on the streets around Saltburn itself. At the nearby railway station, the production prepare for and rehearses a number of scenes....

An in-complete film by Dave Brunskill of a dress rehearsal for a town play being put on by the people of Saltburn-by-the-Sea entitled ‘Scattering Nan.’ Inside a local church hall that is now the home of Saltburn Arts, adults and children get ready with several of them being asked about their parts. What makes this production different is that it is being performed on the streets around Saltburn itself. At the nearby railway station, the production prepare for and rehearses a number of scenes. Sadly, due to bad weather the production did not go ahead, and the film ends with some of those involved expressing their disappointment. Title: Scattering Nan Sunday 4th May 1997 Full Dress Rehearsal Sitting at a trestle table inside the church hall of the Primitive Methodist Church on Albion Terrace a teenager girl called Fran is interviewed about both her involvement with the theatre company and about the production itself called ‘Scattering Nan.’ The interview is intercut with the manic activities of those around her with both adults and children having final costume fittings and make up being applied. Some of the costumed children are asked about their roles. With everyone gathering near the entrance a man carrying a walkie-talkie instructs those dressed as smugglers, Vikings and a 1960s family to head off and make their way to their designated locations. After those groups have left a man talks about his role as the productions lighting and pyrotechnical director and how this rehearsal is as much for his benefit as the cast. The remaining actors sit around the hall chatting or playing while one man dressed as a hippy sits on the floor playing a guitar. Outside Saltburn railway station on Dundas Street West a young woman with a clipboard worries about the arrival of the next train. Under instruction by one of two men with megaphones steward’s escorts those performing as audience members to stand outside the station entrance. With them in place a scene from the play in performed on the street that features Fran. The scene comes to an end and the audience follows the cast into the station itself. Around the Victorian square inside the station entrance the woman with the clipboard seen previous chatting with the lighting and pyrotechnic director. Fran is given direction by the director after which a second scene of the play is performed by the actors. With the scene over the woman with the clipboard speaks with two actresses dressed as smugglers after which she consults the director and lighting person. She explains to the camera they have lost a member of the cast, they believe they have gone shopping at the nearby Somerfield supermarket. The director speaks with a member of the cast after which another scene from the play featuring children dressed as ants and bees is performed alongside two women seen previously dressed as smugglers and two men dressed as ‘excise men.’ The woman with the clipboard speaking with the lighting director about another scene taking place on a railway platform. Nearby the director speaking with Fran about another scene after which she sits watching the rehearsal continue and a scene featuring soldiers leaving for war. The scene is taking place on the former railway platform of The Zetland Hotel and features a home-made railway carriage. A crowd around Fran watching and listening to the performance on the platform as they begin to sing. With the children dresses as bees and ants marching past the director smiles looking happy. Title: Bank Holiday Monday 5th May 1997 The Big Day Sitting at a table a woman makes a telephone call and explains that the town play has been cancelled due to bad weather. As she provides details the rain-soaked streets of Saltburn and a drenched noticed about the play’s rehearsals attached to a door. Sitting beside the woman is Fran who is eating a bag of chips, she is disappointed that the play isn’t going ahead. Following the woman providing details of a children’s party taking place at The Spa Hotel the film changes to the party itself with children wondering about a bar area while the adults sit around tables chatting and looking unhappy. Fran sits with a teenage boy and they both talk about their disappointment that the play had been called off. The tape ends on another male actor talking about his disappointment.