Shrouds & Stays

Shrouds & Stays: The Ballad of Jane Wright - a solo performance by Catherine Wright

A family, a ship, a monkey, a sugar bowl, a storm…

On 10 March 1891 , the merchant ship Bay of Panama wrecked on the coast of Cornwall near Nare Head, during the worst blizzard in 200 years. A daring rescue ensued and about half the crew were saved. 130 years later, Catherine discovered that Captain David Wright and his wife Jane (the only woman aboard), were her great-great grandparents. It is a story she is compelled to share through narrative, original songs, recitations and movement.

Here is an ancestral tale of seafaring days gone by, of family ties, love and loss, forces of nature, inner courage and continuum – themes which will resonate in Cornwall, as they do in Catherine’s island province of Newfoundland, Canada.

“Waves ripple, ebb and flow
Names in a bible, from long ago
Family history lost in time
First a whisper, now in rhyme”

This solo performance will be at Kresen Kernow on Thursday 15 May, 7-9pm. Tickets are free when booked online via our Ticket Tailor event page, with optional cash donations on the door.

Catherine received support from ArtsNL for the creation of this project.

Catherine Wright is a storyteller, multi-arts practitioner and arts educator who divides her time between St John’s and Port Kirwan, Newfoundland. A versatile performer who brings warmth and passion to her storytelling, Catherine has presented a broad range of stories (folk and fairy tales, personal narratives, ballads, hybrid shows) at festivals, schools, theatres, galleries, outdoor venues and online, in her over 30 years of performance experience. Her background in dance is apparent in her storytelling style, and she often interweaves songs and recitations into many of her performances.

Photo credits: Black and white photo of Catherine on the boat – Eliot Wright; Catherine during a performance – Ritche Perez.

Limited parking on site.