Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: Tim Casson’s Shed Stories

With upwards of 1200 Men’s Sheds currently operating in the UK, choreographer Tim Casson combines interviews with movement to celebrate the importance of these warm and lively community spaces, where men come together to make, repair and repurpose. Touring to 13 theatres and community spaces across England, Shed Stories highlights the joy and camaraderie of these shared spaces, especially for an ageing population. We spoke to Tim Casson about the show.

Shed Stories is built from 24 hours of interviews with “shedders.” How did you go about translating their voices and experiences into movement and performance?

I feel like people are endlessly interesting, and it's really humbling to talk to so many people about something, when you don't know much about it! I feel like I’m just a curious novice, and everyone I talk to is therefore an “expert”.

Within the interviews, sometimes someone will say something completely beautiful without realising, and in that moment you'll go, "That's it. That has to go in the show. People need to hear that." - those moments are really clear.

Other times, it's a lot of listening and transcribing and starting to pick out the themes that come up repeatedly, that I think will be relatable or capture people’s imagination - and also things that feel really authentic.

Then, as Shed Stories blends dance, theatre and documentary; it means that there are many different languages that we can use to communicate. The performers might be speaking, or dancing, and sometimes both at the same time -  other times you might hear a recording of some of the people we actually spoke to - so it’s really fun deciding what form each section takes, and how each idea is best communicated.

Dance is great, but it's not always the clearest way to communicate everything; and text is clear, but can sometimes be very dense if there’s a lot of information. Being able to switch modes throughout the production, hopefully makes for a really interesting experience for the audience, that balances this real emotional content - with a more poetic movement element. It’s unusual but it works!

How do you capture the physicality of woodwork – making, repairing, and crafting – in the choreography?

To be honest, we generally stayed away from anything that was too obvious in terms of ‘sawing’ or ‘hammering nails’, but there were definitely a few elements that inspired us! 

A lot of sheds are quite small, so there is a lot of squeezing around each other, and our performance space is also quite small, so this came naturally.

There are some lovely expressions like "measure twice, cut once", which inspired a certain movement section that is about measuring (complete with tape measure choreography).

There's also a phrase in Men's Sheds about how men are often better at communicating when they're side by side, called “shoulder to shoulder”. So there's also a beautiful movement sequence that is inspired by the two male performers keeping their shoulders connected.

Tea breaks are a really fundamental part of Men's Sheds, so it felt necessary to add in a dance with cups of tea!

How does the show explore themes of mental health, ageing, and community without becoming too heavy?

There are a handful of small moments later on in the show that address these themes more directly, but overall it's really positive, joyful and uplifting. We tried hard to strike a balance between the more emotional content, jokes and banter, and the craft and creativity involved.

As a result, we cover a lot of ground in the show, and often the more emotional content is contrasted by something lighter. For example, one moment we're talking about suddenly becoming a carer for a loved one, the next the specifics of making a table out of an old Formula One racing car tyre, or suddenly dancing with a cup of tea - so it's a wild ride - but good fun flicking between all of those things. 

Why do you think small, everyday moments such as tea and biscuits are so powerful on stage?

What I love about Shed Stories, and working in this co-created way, is that absolutely everything in the show is real - every word is really what somebody said. 

I hope that the effect this has on the audience, is that they feel like what they're seeing is much more relatable - I think there's something wonderful when we can see and feel ourselves reflected on stage. 

Theatre is wonderful for escapism, but it can also help us to see from different perspectives that might challenge or reflect our own experience. It's about making the ordinary extraordinary and bringing dance into the everyday.

You’ve performed in some unusual places – from shopping centres to nuclear bunkers. How does Shed Stories fit into your passion for bringing dance into unexpected contexts?

When Casson & Friends first started in 2012, we were really interested in putting dance in unusual places, particularly into ‘public space’, to question the nature of these spaces - and ask the question "Why can't you dance here?" in a shopping centre, a pub, or the middle of a park - why does it always have to be in a theatre?

Sometimes seeing a show can feel quite exclusive or even intimidating - ticket prices are often really expensive, and actually a lot of people don't live near a theatre or performance venue.

With Shed Stories, we’re touring to a mix of venues; small theatres, community spaces, and even some Men’s Sheds! We design our shows to be really portable and flexible, so it means that we’re able to bring performance to people where they are, rather than always asking them to come to a theatre! 

I'm particularly excited about our show in London at London Bubble, because they have the Rotherhithe Shed in the same building - and so audience members on that evening will be able to see the performance and then also visit the Shed and meet some of the shedders! 

What would you tell someone who doesn’t usually see dance shows to get them to see Shed Stories?

I'd say come along with a bit of curiosity about the themes of the show - but forget everything you know about dance shows and have an open mind - you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Probably most importantly; it's heartwarming, joyful, touching, and entertaining all at the same time. If you can't quite imagine what a blend of dance, theatre, and documentary looks like, then come along and find out!

It's definitely not Strictly, and there's not a tutu in sight, but it's undoubtedly dance!

What’s the best biscuit?

That’s a tough one! I think it's probably a dark chocolate Hobnob. It's really sweet, there's a bit of texture, but the dark chocolate just gives it a bit of extra depth - or if I'm feeling slightly more frivolous it's got to be a party ring!

Shed Stories is presented by Casson & Friends, and tours from 11 October to 8 November, for tickets visit www.cassonandfriends.com