Pitcairn. Richard Bean

years ago, on the last day of August 2004, this familiar scene unfolded. The longboats aligned themselves against the side of the ship and a rope ladder was thrown down from the deck. The men scrambled on board and began to lower the cargo over the side, taking care in the pitching open sea. But among the regular goods – sacks of flour, drums of cooking oil, boxes of basic medical supplies, barrels of fuel – was a large consignment of high wire fencing and massive steel gates. The wire fencing and steel gates were for a new development on this remote outcrop. Pitcairn was building a prison.

      Seven Pitcairners – almost two-thirds of the men on the island – were on trial for sexual offences ranging from gross indecency and indecent assault to rape. The accused - Jay Warren, Dennis Christian, Len Brown, Terry Young, Dave Brown, Steve Christian and Randy Christian - faced 96 charges between them. All were against children. (Jay Warren was acquitted.) Some argued that it was their hybrid Polynesian heritage that allowed them to have underage sex, even though there is no evidence that this was the case. Since then, more Pitcairners have been charged and found guilty. Four police officers are now permanently posted on the island. Pitcairn has become the most heavily policed community in the world.

      The guilty men have to be let out of their newly-built prison to man the longboats when a ship calls, and clamber up the rope ladder. There wouldn’t be enough capable men otherwise. As each ship raises their anchor for the world beyond, the islanders bid farewell from the longboat with a rousing sea shanty. Callers have reported hearing it for over a century. Strong voiced above the pounding swell, they sing the Goodbye Song. They wave to those high above on deck – ‘We part but hope to meet again – goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.’ At this last line, the ropes are cast off and the longboat turns towards Pitcairn, filled with a handful of fallible human beings, imprisoned by the ocean, bound by their past.

      Dea Birkett is author of Serpent in Paradise, about her time on Pitcairn Island.

      Out of Joint, Chichester Festival Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe present

       PITCAIRN

      a play by Richard Bean

      Touring 2014

      22 August – 20 September

      Chichester Festival Theatre

      22 September – 11 October

      Shakespeare’s Globe

      14 – 18 October

      Plymouth Theatre Royal

      21 – 24 October

      Warwick Arts Centre

      28 October – 1 November

      Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

      4 – 8 November

      Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne

      11 – 15 November

      Oxford Playhouse

      18 – 22 November

      Malvern Theatres

       PRODUCTION CREDITS

Lois Chimimba	Te Lahu
Samuel Edward-Cook	Quintal
Vanessa Emme	Fasto
Eben Figueiredo	Hiti
Siubhan Harrison	Mi Mitti
Saffron Hocking	Te’o
Ash Hunter	Ned Young
Naveed	Khan Menalee
Cassie Layton	Mata
Anna Leong Brophy	Walua
Tom Morley	Fletcher Christian
Adam Newington	John Adams
Henry Pettigrew	William McKoy
David Rubin	Oha
Jack Tarlton	William Brown

      Director Max Stafford-Clark

      Designer Tim Shortall

      Lighting Designer Johanna Town

      Composer Adam Pleeth

      Choreographer Orian Michaeli

      Sound Designer Emma Laxton

      Casting Director Gabrielle Dawes CDG

      Associate Director Tim Hoare

      Assistant Director Jake Smith

      Production Manager Sam Paterson

      Company Stage Manager Sally Hughes

      Deputy Stage Manger Rebecca James

      Assistant Stage Manager Lou Ballard

      Costume Supervisor Brigid Guy

      Props Supervisor Celia Strainge

      Fight Director Jonathan Waller

      Dialect Coach Richard Ryder

      Re-lighter Theo Chadha

      Set Construction Set-Up Scenary

      Production Carpenter Steve Bush

      Costume Makers Alison Kirkpatrick, Karen Stott

      Mens costumes supplied by Angels

      Wigs Linda McKnight

      Tattoo Supervisor Lorena Paton

      Production & rehearsal photography Robert Workman

      Thanks to: Dea Birkett, Jeniffer Crothall and the National Maritime Museum, Rob Vinson. Richard Bean would like to thank: Max Stafford-Clark, Andy Michel and Dea Birkett.