New audio drama co-commission from Brontë Parsonage Museum and Ilkley Literature Festival

Created by North-East based Obscura Theatre, the 40-minute, two-part audio piece investigates the ever-changing nature of the landscape and also the supernatural themes present in many of the Brontës’ stories. Developed by Yorkshire director Beth Knight alongside Obscura’s writer, composer and sound designer Patch Middleton and director and producer Emily Oulton, the two interconnecting pieces are set in two time-frames and locations and examine the experiences of two lost characters, each attempting to belong to their time and place. A Dream of Death is set in Haworth in 1823, the year that the Brontë family first arrived in the village, and Shadows on Shadows is set in Ilkley in 1973 when the town’s acclaimed Literature Festival was founded. Using headphones and a map, audiences are guided by the narrative performed by Yorkshire actors Riana Duce and Olivia Sweeney as they explore the landscape and experience ghostly visitations.

“As with a lot of theatre at the moment, it came off the back of lockdown and trying to reframe the way that people can engage with stories,” explains Middleton. “I grew up in the Lake District and was back there during lockdown. I was thinking about something I always wanted to do where you could be out in nature and listen to something that would let you connect with the landscape. I love audio drama – I listen to Radio 4 plays and love listening to them while driving through the countryside. I wondered what would happen if you took that texture and put the audience in the location where the story was taking place.”

From that starting point, he and Oulton created a piece for Theatre by the Lake in Keswick in 2021, which was very well received, and they then successfully applied for Arts Council funding to develop the idea further. “We started working on this one a year ago,” says Oulton. “We knew from the outset that we wanted to create two interconnecting stories. We began by visiting the sites and exploring the terrain. We went to the ILF office and the Parsonage Museum and walked on the surrounding moors in Ilkley and Haworth. We were really struck by how atmospheric both places were.” Middleton adds: “Within a few paces you are right out in the wild and that is such a transportive feeling.”

Obscura’s work specifically explores folkore, the fantastical and its relationship to place and local identity which informs how they do their research. “We talked to people in walking groups, a local blogger and a storyteller, all giving us inspiration,” says Oulton. They then created the two narratives and began auditioning performers. “We knew we wanted to work with local actors,” says Oulton. “Our process tends to be really collaborative and people come with their own stories and experiences of the local area; it’s important that we use those. Olivia and Riana were great and we went out on the moors with them recording back in April – it was very windy and wild which all contributed to the atmosphere.” Middleton then edited it, composed original music and created additional soundscape elements to add another layer of texture.

“We have had really positive feedback so far,” says Oulton. “People are taken on an amazing creative journey and get to appreciate the beauty of Haworth Moor and Ilkley Moor.” Every audience member will have a unique experience from taking part. “We encourage people to ground themselves and be present in the moment,” says Middleton. “Each person gets something different from it which is what makes it so magical for us. It has really gone beyond what we thought possible.”

Available now until October 23 via bronte.org.uk or ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk