Set at a Karaoke night, The Ballad of St John’s Car Park is an immersive and site-specific theatre production that celebrates true stories of community activism in Medway – from the protested closure of Chatham’s Dockyard in 1984 to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.

Directed by Nancy Hirst, the production is created and performed by a professional cast and creative team and features a community ensemble of over 100 performers.

Professional performers taking part include Vaneeka Dadhri, David King-Yombo, PK Taylor, and Jaye Hudson. The ensemble includes students from six local schools.

Taking inspiration from true stories of activism in Medway, The Ballad of St John’s Car Park uses projection, dance, and karaoke to explore how these experiences have shaped the identities of individuals and the community. Stories include the Black Lives Matter movement’s campaign to rename a local car park that commemorated a prominent slave trader, the protested closure of Chatham Dockyard, local LGBTQ and Trans activism that led to the establishment of Medway Pride, how Sikh traditions of ‘Langar’ have positively supported protestors, and young people’s involvement in the Greta Thunberg climate protests.

After the show, the bar and karaoke will stay open for an inclusive community party.

“There are over 200 people in the company for The Ballad of St John’s Car Park and my aim has been to enable them to tell stories of protest that are important to them…” explains the director, Nancy Hirst. “Right now, we are at an important moment in our national history where our right to protest has been significantly restricted by recent legislation. The Ballad of St John’s Car Park seeks to demonstrate the positive side of activism.”

The Ballad of St John’s Car Park will run from 5-8 October, in Chatham

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