Not surfers but a suffragette against sewage – this is one of the themes of a new (ish) play by local writers Lucy Flannery and Greg Mosse. The part of Elizabeth Wells is played by renowned Sussex actress Paula Tinker who gives an astonishing portrayal of a woman coming to terms with personal relationships and environmental pollution – in 1902!

The scene is set in Emsworth at the turn of the last century. At this time Emsworth was a major producer of oysters. The local conditions were perfect for oyster cultivation with the harbour boasting large areas of shallow water fed by the pure water of numerous springs and the sparkling clear output of local chalk streams.

At the peak of production in 1890 up to 100,000 oysters a week were loaded on the train up to London and a large percentage of the Emsworth population were involved in oyster fishing or in ancillary trades such as boat building or transportation. Large amounts of money were being made from this lucrative trade and business was booming.

But, there’s always a but, unbelievably, raw sewage was being disposed of into the harbour – I mean can you believe that anyone could allow untreated sewage to be pumped into our local seas? As a result of these insanitary practices oyster beds were becoming infected with typhoid.

At a mayoral banquet in Winchester in December 1902, the Dean of Winchester and two other people died after eating contaminated oysters. Several other towns, including Southampton, had cases of typhoid. As a result of this the oyster industry in Emsworth suffered a catastrophic, almost overnight collapse and the town suffered an immediate decline in its fortunes.

Paula Tinker’s virtuoso performance brings this story to life with pathos and an insight into a typical Edwardian woman’s lot. This one act play has songs written by local composer John Gleadall who plays the part of music teacher Frederick Finch. (Great casting!)

 The show is set in December 1918. Elizabeth Wells is preparing a concert in Emsworth to celebrate women’s suffrage and the end of the Great War. But she cannot celebrate the future without reviewing and reconciling herself to her tragic past.

 After a short interval the audience will be invited to sing some songs of the sea with John and Paula, and will also have a chance to have a chat about the show and the themes within it.

Paula and John will be performing the show for a week at The Barons Court theatre in London in May – but as the setting is so local to us they will be presenting two ‘out of town’ warm up shows at Emsworth Community Centre on Friday May 3 (tickets available from the Community Centre) and on Saturday May 4 in West Ashling at The Village Hall  tickets available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poisoned-beds-tickets-840564800947?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete&keep_tld=1

Both shows start at 7.30 pm

John Gleadall (Former Director of Music Hampshire County Council)22nd February 2024