Actress tells N4 stories as curtain raiser for theatre

Published: 21 January, 2011
by PETER GRUNER

TV ACTRESS Sarah Rutherford is writing a new stage play that she hopes will celebrate multicultural life in Finsbury Park.

The play is expected to launch the borough’s first new professional theatre in decades – The Park, due to open next year close to Finsbury Park station.

Mother of two Ms Rutherford, who has appeared in Casualty  and Murphy’s Law, is currently interviewing leading figures in the area, including many from the ethnic communities, in an effort to gather ideas for the play, currently titled N4 Stories.

She is working with a team of actors and hopes to have a script with a plot and characters ready by September.

“I’ve always loved Finsbury Park, ever since I worked locally,” said Sarah, who is married to an eye surgeon. “It has such colour, diversity and atmosphere. There’s fascinating Fonthill Road, a centre of the women’s clothing trade, and Blackstock Road with its wonderful array of Algerian cafés and restaurants.”

She has already interviewed a local vicar, a Turkish leader and the head of one of the local mosques for the project. “Finsbury Park is very much on the up these days after years of neglect. But I want to talk to young people and find out what they feel and what the real issues are.” 

Jez Bond, former artistic director of Finsbury Park-based theatre group Y Touring Company, is behind the scheme for the new theatre, with support from Islington Council.

Under the plans, a derelict office building at 11-13 Clifton Terrace, behind Finsbury Park station, will be converted into a 200-seat main area with a studio space that would accommodate around 80 people. 

Several new flats will also be created above the venue as part of the development.  

Private donors have contributed funds to the project and Mr Bond said he hopes part of the £2million building costs will be offset by sales of the flats.  

Mr Bond added that he hoped to stage “a broad range of plays that inspire and engage people – plays that make you laugh and make you cry”. 

He has set up a blog – at www.parktheatre.co.uk/blog/ – so that interested people can follow the progress of the scheme.