ECLIPSE

Introduction

'Eclipse' tells the story of a group of disparate young people who have been brought together in Cornwall by their parents to share a common experience: the solar eclipse. As the play unfolds, it becomes clear that all of the characters will learn more than a lesson in astrology. As the minutes tick away to the great event itself they are forced to confront truths about themselves and their world which have previously been unknown. As Polly and Jane put it in Scene Four, 'We were something else before the daylight vanished' (page 18).

The catalyst for this process is the enigmatic Lucy Lime who appears amongst them and, through a series of games, dares and challenges, reveals to them all things that they have not previously known about themselves. Through a series of dramatic monologues we are able to witness the feelings of the group towards Lucy, and piece together the sinister chain of events which result in Lucy's mysterious disappearance.

The play is rich in symbols and the eclipse itself, one of the most memorable events from the summer of 1999, is used by Simon Armitage to suggest how the truth can illuminate the darkness of ignorance and occasionally blind us with its power.

Activities devised by Jan and Rick Holroyd, with Andy Kempe.