The Great Rinsing • Pump House, Wimborne (2011)

The production told a story set in a future when water has become a luxury. Two children search the chasms and passageways of a derelict museum of water to quench their thirst, and the audience goes with them to hear stories and memories contained within water.


Poster for The Great Rinsing • Pump House, Wimborne
About the production

We searched for several years for an unused and unusual building in Wimborne.  We discovered a Victorian Pump House at the end of a lane and were given permission by the owners, Sembcorp Bournemouth Water to create a new production there.  The building became the inspiration for ‘The Great Rinsing.

Working with London Bubble’s artistic director, Jonathan Petherbridge, and designer, Pip Nash, we created and developed ideas for the show over many months, responding to the building’s industrial architecture and previous research into watery stories and memories about living near the rivers Stour and Allen. The script was written by Jonathan Petherbridge.

The production combined live performance with film and sound and involved over 70 people, artists, students, singers and musicians, from 13 months to 87 years. It was funded by Arts Council of England Grants for the Arts.

  Our pump house in Wimborne is a grand old Victorian building which has been part of the local water supply for over 100 years. It is great that the local community may gather in it from time to time to take part in and watch the performing arts, especially if there is a watery theme. We’re pleased to be able to help facilitate this.  
Roger Harrington, Sembcorp’s Managing Director
  It was well worth the journey and it was good to see someone else’s approach to Community Theatre. The focus on the preciousness of water was genuinely moving and the venue gave a particular resonance to that.  
John Somers, Lecturer in Drama, Exeter University
  I just wanted to say what an excellent production it was. I loved the inventive and creative use of the building, its machinery & rooms & of the surroundings. Also the sound & lighting effects. As a huge fan of Eliot, I was immediately hooked as soon as an extract of ‘The Dry Salvages’ was read.  
Anon

Video

Video 1: ‘The Great Rinsing: Angler Film’ by Dan Horitz, shown in Scene 2 – Memory; (Words by Jonathan Petherbridge, Voice of Water: Dan Copeland)

 

Video 2: ‘The Great Rinsing’ – full length, filmed and edited by Martin Coyne

Programme

Research

© copyright of Wimborne Community Theatre

Design

Sketches by Pip Nash, Theatre Designer, from the Bubble Theatre

Audience participation

Memories of Water

Voices used in the production were taken from a workshop in which participants wrote short pieces as the voice of water.  Later these were adapted and recorded for use in the production.  The audience was invited to listen to the memories through the giant tubes in the Pump House.

“Some people think I’m like music, when you sit close to me, you hear the flow and it passes through your unconsciousness, and helps you reach places you want to be, places you want to go. I don’t know which places, but I want to go there too and be there, bringing them to life with my flow, flowing life.

Freedom to flow, freedom to be, to give life, gushing through unconsciousness, reaching the place I so want to be.  I don’t know the place but I so want to be there.”

Read more water voices.

Blog

As the project developed members of the group shared ideas and impressions through an online blog.

Songs

The Calling Song Lyrics from The Great Rinsing

CALLING SONG

Dreaming of water
Dreaming of water
Dreaming of water
Wake up, wake up to our morning call.

A body of water
Drip, drip, drop
A body of water
Drip, drip, drop
A body of water
Drip, drip, drop
Remember how the day once began
Remember how the day once began.

Slick trickle down
Teapot and kettle and a boiling egg
Wake up, wake up
How slick trickle down
Teapot and kettle and a boiling egg
Wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up
How slick trickle down
Teapot and kettle and a boiling egg
Wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up
How slick trickle down
Teapot and kettle and a boiling egg
Wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up.

Never forget water pumped like a heart
Fresh water, clear in a glass
Not a drop is spilt
We cup our hands
Water pumped like a heart
Fresh water, clear in a glass
We cup our hands
Water pumped like a heart
Never forget, fresh water, clear in a glass
We cup our hands
We cup our hands.

Rub our skin
Dig roots for the last drop
Remember how the tides turn
Rub our skin
Dig roots for the last drop
Remember how the tides turn
Rub our skin
Dig roots for the last drop
Remember how the tides turn

Dreaming of water
Dreaming of water
Dreaming of water
Wake up, wake up to our morning call,
Wake.

© Wimborne Community Theatre

Sound Files

1. Original sound design for the production by Rob Hart.
© copyright of Rob Hart

The Great Rinsing Soundtracks:
1. Atmospheric tones transitioning to rushing water
2. Machine sounds combined with dripping and flowing water. Used as the pulley opens the door for the audience to enter the pipe room in Scene 2: Memory.
3. Flowing water
4. Radio static and resonant pipes. Used as the soundtrack to the Angler’s film “Voice of Water” in Scene 2: Memory.
5. Glass smashing and crunching – atmosphere. Used as the last bottle of water drops in Scene 3: The Tribe.
6. Industrial machine atmospheric sound. Used as background sound in Scene 2: Memory.
7. Rhythmic cracking melting ice into flowing water. Used in Scene 1: The Museum.
8. Whirring glitchy machine noises. Used to accompany the hologram movements in Scene 1: The Museum.

Location