Hidden costs

Grounded was written by Dr Ruth Raynor and artist-educator Karen Underhill, whose experience of bereavement during the pandemic inspired the play. Based on in-depth research with a group of women bereaved during that time, it shines a light on the hidden costs of the restrictions people had to live by.

It tells the story of Katherine whose husband dies unexpectedly at the start of the pandemic. She is faced with nothing but four walls to share her grief. The house takes on a life of its own and begins to challenge everything she thought was true. Grounded was supported with funding from  UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)  Impact Acceleration Account at Newcastle University. 

Dr Raynor, is a senior lecturer in Urban Planning in Newcastle University’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. She is also co-founder of Albatross, a contemporary new writing theatre collective based in the North East of England. She said: “Many millions of people were affected by bereavement during Covid-19, and restrictions had a real impact on the grieving process. While the world has sought to quickly ‘move on’ from this time, our research participants cannot.  They want to share their experiences from this unique moment in time, to feel heard, seen and acknowledged.”  

Karen’s husband Simon died at the start of the pandemic. She had to navigate her grief and support her children during lockdown. She said: “This play has allowed me to take ownership of my story. It’s given me a creative way to process what felt unprocessable. To have my voice, and the voices of others like me, heard in this way feels vital.”

Shared understanding

Edward Cole, Artistic Director at Alphabetti Theatre, said: "We are incredibly excited to be working with Albatross and proud to be able to share this beautiful new play, Grounded. Grounded acts as a cornerstone to our Spring season and tells a story that will unite audiences in joy, warmth and a shared understanding of something we all went through—but many have yet to fully process. We're incredibly thankful to Newcastle University, UKRI and ESRC  for allowing us to go on this journey, and we believe the play will act as a beautiful example of what can be achieved when creativity and research work hand in hand."

Grounded will be staged at the Alphabetti Theatre, St James Boulevard, Newcastle, between 21 and 24 May. On 22 May there will be a post-show discussion with Dr Ruth Raynor, Dr Angela Kennedy, of Innovating for Well-being, and Karen Underhill.

Creative writing workshops led by Celia North are open to anybody affected by loss 12^th May 10am-12am and the 9^th June 10am-12am at the West End Library, 6 Condercum Rd, NE4 9JH.