Fort
Written by Tabitha Hayward
Director - Rohan Gotobed
Producer - Olivia Tetlow
Designer - Layla Bradbeer
Sound Designer - Freddie Lewis
Movement Director - Olivia Quayle
Assistant Director / Captioner - Daisy Norwood
Assistant Producer - Sophie Janssen
Touring Stage Manager - Sarah Banerjee
London Stage Manager - Emilijia Varnaite
Photography - Henry Roberts
Daisy - Martha Harlan
Viv - Megan Marszal
10th November 2024 - 17th January 2025
Dorsetborn, South West Tour & Theatre 503
1am. An Iron Age hillfort in North Dorset.
Away from dysfunctional families and small-town gossip, Viv and Daisy can be entirely themselves. With so much beyond their control, Fort is their stomping ground. Their escape. Until the ghost turns up.
Best friends for as long as they can remember, their bond has survived school bullies, witchcraft, jealousy and vengeful cows. But at the end of a summer when everything is changing, can it survive the ghost?
The debut play by Tabitha Hayward, Fort toured to eleven different venues across Dorset and the South West, before enjoying a short run at Theatre 503 in London. Funded by Arts Council England, with support from Activate Performing Arts, Forest Forge, and Poole Lighthouse.
'Does this sound like a joke to you? My cow’s going to die and you’re pregnant with a ghost baby.'
The Reviews Hub
"This bold two-hander from Tabitha Hayward begins with the air of a production of Waiting for Godot. Hamlet is brought to mind here, too, but such reference points are fleeting because Fort stands strong on its own foundations as a dazzlingly funny and moving evocation of two female friends navigating new emotional territory.
We’re treated to two wonderful performances, running the gamut from floods of tears on the floor to dancing and singing along to Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Marszal and Harlan successfully produce the aura of two best friends who have known each other all their lives. It’s a highly affecting theatrical experience."
★★★★⯪
Fine Times Recorder
"Martha Harlan and Megan Marszal viscerally capture the relationship between these two young women, and Tabitha Hayward’s writing is full of wit and dread, fun and fear. A sure-fire triumph, Fort is much more than a local entertainment. Its insights are profoundly touching, humorous and totally convincing.
Rohan Gotobed directs with a sure and nuanced hand. Fort raises timeless issues, questions orthodoxies, floats the unanswerable questions of time and space and celebrates the power of true friendship. It’s well worth a visit."
Everything theatre
"A beautiful story that runs much deeper than two best friends looking for a ghost. In addition to Hayward’s excellent writing, Marszal and Harlan portray Viv and Daisy phenomenally. Fort offers a clear message about the fears of growing up and a changing lifestyle. It is a production well worth seeing."