A NEW play inspired by the lives of Winchester’s 90-year-olds takes to the road next month.

In a piece of interactive verbatim theatre, specially commissioned to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday year, Flintlock Theatre and Hat Fair will present Four Score Years And Ten which explores what it’s like to be an older person in contemporary Britain.

The play was commissioned by Winchester City Council and is constructed from the words of Winchester’s 90-year-old residents.

Four Score Years And Ten invites audiences to a birthday party like no other, where guests are invited to take tea alongside partygoers with nine decades of stories to share.

As Leon Trotsky said: “Old age is the most unexpected of all things that can happen to a man.”

Some of the oldest residents of the Winchester District have given their stories, time and even personalities to shape this brand new celebratory performance piece.

Flintlock and Hat Fair were introduced to a number of organisations working with older people in the Winchester District to find 90-year-olds interested in taking part in this unusual piece. St John’s Charity Winchester, Winchester Live at Home scheme and Age UK were all keen to be part of the project, which is being produced on behalf of the Council by Hat Fair. Clive Cook, director of St John’s, said: “We have quite a few people over 90 who are living independently in our almshouses in central Winchester. Our residents are well enmeshed in the local community but this type of project is highly innovative and provides our residents with something different, of unique interest to them. It will help keep alive good memories and provide a really positive challenge. Those that have been participating are really looking forward to seeing them brought to life on stage. The project will also provide new fresh memories for people that I am sure they will appreciate.”

Around 40 older people came forward to share their stories at a series of coffee mornings and group sessions earlier in the summer.

After more detailed interviews with eight of them, the team at Flintlock Theatre produced a script, and began rehearsals yesterday, for the brand new show. Four Score Years and Ten takes the form of a tea party – a cultural institution about which Winchester people are very enthusiastic, particularly at times of royal celebration. There will be just 54 members of the audience, seated at trestle tables and involved in the action, for each performance.

Cllr Steve Miller, the city council’s portfolio holder for economy and estates, said: “The Council is often seen to support arts projects for younger people.In a year when we have celebrated the Queen at 90, we felt it was appropriate to commission an arts project that involved some of ourvery oldest residents.”

The theatre piece is one of a series of initiatives throughout 2016 to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, including the popular ‘Clean for the Queen’ clean-up day in March; the lighting of beacons in Winchester and Bishop’s Waltham; a host of privately organised street parties around the district and in the cathedral’s Outer Close, and the Grand Celebration and Picnic in the Abbey Gardens.

Cllr Miller added: “We have definitely paid tribute to Her Majesty in this milestone year. We often worry in this day and age about the challenges of an ageing population, but I hope that projects such as Four Score Years and Ten will remind us that our older neighbours, friends and relations can also be a source of great wisdom, joy, comfort and experience.”

Michelle Walker, artistic director for Hat Fair, said: “Hat Fair is all about ensuring that everybody, young and old, has opportunities to participate in the arts and cultural life of our home city. We’re interested in giving voices which often go unheard a platform, and we’re really proud to share the life stories of some of Winchester’s amazing 90-year-olds through the creation of this show. Hat Fair’s take on things tends to be a bit playful or left-of-field, so we’re thrilled to turn the spotlight onto some of the brilliant nonagenarians on our own doorstep, and very grateful to all of them for sharing their experiences of life’s ups and downs with us so generously and honestly.”

Show times are at noon, 3pm and 7pm on each of the following dates: Friday, September 2; Kings Worthy Jubilee Hall, SO23 7QN; Saturday, September 3; All Saints’ Church Hall, Highcliffe, Winchester, SO23 0JD; Sunday, September 4; Otterbourne Village Hall, SO21 2ET.

Tickets are free but should be reserved from the Theatre Royal Winchester box office on 01962 840440.