Fleur of Yesterday

"The carnation flower's scent is fragrant in the breeze.

It wakes me so I escape the dark world of dreams."

Awakening on the golden flower bridge of Bry, Fleur cannot remember how she came to be there. There are lingering fumes of smoke in the air and within her reach, lies her romantic partner, Sherwin's jacket. Wrapped around Fleur's wrist is a living, wild Carnation flower.

Determined to find answers, Fleur travels back in time with the wild Carnation flower. As she revisits moments of yesterday, she engages with the living energies of her lifeworld. Slowly, Fleur unravels the lingering, dark mystery behind Sherwin's disappearance.

Award-winning Susan Marshall makes history in this publication. Drawing upon more than two decades of her experiences as a professional author, theatre practitioner and expert educator, she introduces a theoretical discourse and a practical framework for a new theatrical style for the stage. In her groundbreaking article: Theatre Playscapes: A New Theatrical Style, Susan examines the impacts of the twenty first century's unprecedented emphasis on individualism, within the constraints of globalisation. She argues that in our brave new world, the role of the theatre is vital in its abilities to empower our young people to choose to nurture their beings, develop autonomy and to connect with their lifeworlds. 

In this play, Fleur of Yesterday, we see Susan's work with the Theatre Playscapes style in practice. Inspired by her travels in France, Susan has engaged in extensive research into the science of plant breeding and has created a play that speaks for the precious life of the wild flower. Drawing upon the beauty of both the English and French languages, Susan creates an evocative, energetic and mysterious play for young adults.