Swithin's Blog #2

I'm Swithin Fry and this is my second blog post before my performance of 'Dear Tim: Echoes of Death Row' at CYTO’s Shoestring Theatre on Saturday, October 17.

I'm particularly pleased that CYTO, Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation, is co-sponsoring 'Dear Tim' with Croydon Amnesty; my eldest grandson who is now 14, was studying Rosa Parkes and the American Civil Rights Movement in school last year - how the curriculum has changed since I was at school – thankfully!

And my first performance, going back nearly 3 years now, was at the Bridport Friends Meeting House. At the time, my niece and her son, then nine, lived near Bridport. Helen wanted to come and as her husband was working that morning, she said she was going to bring little Joe. I asked her whether it would be OK for Joe to hear about such matters – she laughed, and said it would probably all go over his head. I can see and hear her infectious laugh now.

It didn't go over Joe’s head. The next morning he was making a replica prison, from how I had described it in my performance, in Minecraft, which is a sort of Lego computer program. And the next thing I know, he has asked Mum to help him write to Tim; he did and received a lovely reply. Helen tells me that Joe is still sending Tim a Christmas card every year.

So, as you can see, in my performance I describe the prison on that life-changing day when I visited Tim in the draughty Death Row visitors’ room. I don't mind admitting, it was quite scary.

In my next blog, I'll tell you how all of this started for me when I retired – and turned my life upside down!

'Dear Tim: Echoes of Death Row' is on Saturday, October 17th at 7pm. It's at the CYTO’s Shoestring Theatre in Oakley Road.

Tickets are only £6 (concession £4) and you can get them from:

Sarah Beer - sarahvbeer@gmail.com or 020 8656 1000