Trestle Theatre

We may have only just packed up Lola’s bloomers, castanets and whip but rehearsals have already begun for our next production.

The Glass Mountain tells the story of Olek, a Polish baker who boards a bus for England only to find himself on a much bigger journey than he bargained.

The impetus for the show came from Emily Gray, our Artistic Director's interest in finding a meeting point between the enormously respected theatre made by Grotowski influenced theatre companies in Poland (such as Song of the Goat and Gardzienice) and the struggles experienced by recent Polish immigrants to England.

Trestle is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire where there is a large Polish community. During the shows development we held a series of hertbatkas (Polish tea parties). While not based on any one persons account, the stories shared at these events helped inform the characterisation of Olek and gave us a greater understanding of the migrant experience.

Featuring a cast of four, The Glass Mountain fuses traditional Polish theatre techniques and Eastern European traditions of singing stories with Trestle's process of devising physical storytelling theatre. Traditionally, Polish theatre is an intensely dramatic theatrical experience, however we hope to balance this with the humour, empathy and playfulness that Trestle has become renowned.

The Glass Mountain is touring the UK from 24 September - 14 November including the Tobacco Factory in Bristol, Hat Factory in Luton, Unity Theatre in Liverpool and Theatre Royal Wakefield. Click here for the full tour schedule.

By Gemma