Carla Keen, Artistic Director of The Ministry of Unplanned Occurrences, shares with us some of the weirdest rumours and facts that have inspired Hinterland, their latest improvised show.
What is a hinterland? Both a location in a remote area, meaning literally ‘behind land’, but also relating to something beyond what is visible or known — a between place.
We’ve used this to explore the idea of feeling between two worlds, perhaps still living in a place you’ve never left, not quite belonging, but also unable to leave, while the people around you seem very much at home.
The show is about fictional places in the UK which on the outside seem mundane, perfectly normal, but behind closed doors are hiding conspiracies, cults, and strange
Here are five of the most normal of places with some of the strangest of occurrences:
Bonnybridge (between Glasgow and Edinburgh) is also known as the ‘Scottish Roswell’. There are over 300 reports of suspicious and unidentifiable flying objects each year. Some have even claimed to have been kidnapped by aliens in the ‘Falkirk Triangle’.
Bungay in Suffolk is the devil-worshipping capital of the UK. Local councillor Judy Cloke said ‘Bungay is most definitely not the devil-worshipping capital of the UK’ — which is exactly what you would say if you were the devil-worshipping capital of the UK…
Cambridge has ghosts with (un)healthy boundaries. On Little St Mary’s Lane, which used to form the boundary between town and country, a demonic dog called Black Shuck sits and waits, and the rumour is if you see him, you will be dead within a year…
Margate in Kent has a mysterious shell grotto. No-one is sure of its origin, some claim it is from the Roman occupation of Britain, others say it was the secret gathering place of the Knights Templar.
Milton Keynes is rumoured to have been built for the illuminati. Built on ancient ley lines which criss-cross the city, it also has several pyramid structures which are said to relate to the cult.
Hinterland is at the Corpus Playroom, 26-29 April, where we’ll be discovering the hidden secrets within a town that won’t exist until the audience joins us in creating it! Get your tickets here.
Hinterland
Corpus Playroom
Wednesday 26 - Saturday 29 April 2023, 19.00
Buy your Tickets