THE IDIOT COLONY

The Idiot Colony tells the story of Mary, Victoria and Joy, three women locked away as “moral defectives.”

The show was conceived and performed by Claire Coaché as co-artistic director of RedCape Theatre and written by Lisle Turner. The Idiot Colony premiered at The Edinburgh Fringe 2008, where it won a Scotsman Fringe First and the Total Theatre Award for best Visual Theatre; it was also a finalist for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award, The Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award and the Holden Street Theatres Adelaide Award. 

The Idiot Colony was invited to be part of the London International Mime Festival January 2009 where it had a four night sold-out run at the ICA.  This was followed by a national tour, supported by ACE East.

The Idiot Colony is based on true stories. Claire’s father ran a small business repairing electrical equipment in hairdressing salons. A client told him a story about a woman who was committed to a local asylum, The Great Barr Idiot Colony, for having an affair with an American GI during the war. Further research uncovered the shocking truth that countless British women deemed sexually transgressive had been committed as “moral defectives” in the 40s and 50s often with as little as a signature from their GP. Many remained incarcerated until the Care in the Community act of the late 1980s saw them put out on the streets. First person testimonies, historical document archives and media stories contributed to the writing of the show.

LIVE THEATRE. 70MINS.