Theatre-solo fundraiser at the Church

On Saturday, 16th July, the Church of John the Baptist, Snape will host Georgina Lock’s solo-show,
The Walled-Up Woman, which she performs in the character of a medieval anchoress.

Anchoresses were lay women who chose lone lockdown for life, usually in a lean-to on the North wall of the church.  A bishop approved successful applicants, and ceremonially walled them into their “anchor houses”.  Living on donations as “anchors of the church”, and following advice from The Ancrene Wisse, the contemporary guidebook for anchoresses, they prayed for the souls of their community – living and dead – and themselves.  Their practical tasks were to sew and to dig their graves in their cells, so that buried so close to the altar, they would bypass purgatory and marry Christ in Heaven. Before the English Reformation, there were surprisingly many anchoresses.

Georgina, writer-director, actress and film maker, researched and wrote the script before lockdown, when the show came into its own on Zoom to international audiences.  She is delighted to be perform it as a fundraiser for maintenance and repair of Snape’s beautiful medieval church.  She is one of our Parish Councillors, and Chair of newly-formed The Friends of Snape Church.  We do hope this event is well supported to get the group off to a good start.

There is no entry fee, but donations are requested in aid of Church maintenance.  Doors open at 7:00pm.

You can visit Georgina's website here.