Preview: Paved With Gold And Ashes (Barons Court Theatre)

Showing as part of a double bill of plays this week at Barons Court Theatre, Paved With Gold And Ashes is written by Julia Thurston.

When: to 27 Jan

Ticket link: https://www.baronscourttheatre.com/pwgaa

Julia stopped by for a chat about the show.

What should audiences expect who come along to see this show?

Paved with Gold and Ashes tells the stories of five young women in 1911 who all experience the same catastrophic event, but each with differing personal histories, experiences, and outcomes.

Their stories are told through a combination of monologues and dialogues, and there are some beautiful a cappella songs and gorgeous ensemble moments woven in as well.

I hope audiences are inspired by these young women’s fights to realize their hopes and dreams, and should definitely expect catharsis, moments of comedy and drama as these characters share their stories.

What gave you the idea to write it?

I’ve always been fascinated by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the event this play is about, as it happened in New York City where I grew up. But I was especially interested since the overwhelming majority of this fire’s victims were teenage girls.

I was frustrated that so many of the victims’ stories have been lost to history, and was curious about what these girls’ lives might have been like before the fire and inside the factory.

I had also been itching to find a project that could put together my two loves: history and acting, and I thought that this was a story which could be told onstage with an all-female cast.

At the time, I was the same age as many of the Triangle workers and I wanted to represent these young women so that they could be recognized as teenage girls by 21st century audiences — not just “historic figures” but as living, breathing teenagers sharing their hopes, dreams and ambitions.

Why show it together in a double bill with Fire Embers Ash? How do they complement each other?

Stylistically the plays are very different, which I think makes them fascinating to watch back-to-back!

However, these are two 20th-century historical stories, each about five young women fighting for their futures. Both plays present stories of young women working to challenge expectations and overcome obstacles placed by the eras they live in.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to come see a double-bill of plays about two relatively obscure female-centric historic events, to challenge our own understanding of how the world we live in today was shaped by girls’ and women’s experiences. 

What do you think of the London fringe at the moment?

I’ve seen some incredible fringe shows in London during my years here and I feel very grateful to be adding my own play to this theatre scene.

For years I’ve wanted to perform something Off-West End, I’ve always loved the accessibility of tickets and the unique spaces that can be found in pub theatres everywhere in London, so I’m thrilled to finally be doing so with my own play! 

What’s next after this run at Barons Court?

The next step for Paved with Gold and Ashes is to produce it in New York, the city where it takes place and my hometown!

We’ve been so lucky to be able to connect with the “Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition,” and we look forward to collaborating with them further when we can perform this play in NYC, hopefully in the very near future.

The play text for PWGAA has also now been published and is available to purchase after the show at the Barons Court Theatre!