An extra event in our theatre programme brought to us as a result of Gerald Box’s generous sponsorship. Mikron theatre (in their 37th season) performed their new play exploring the past and present of the Cooperative Movement, incorporating their usual mixture of humour and song. This was a play within an (imaginary) film. We saw the group discussing how to construct the film and then enacting scenes and commenting on them. This encouraged the audience to reflect on what they were being told – and gave plenty of opportunities for comic moments as the cast commented on their performances and had fantasies about the exotic locations their story could take them to.
We learnt about the birth of the Rochdale Pioneers in 1844 when weavers opened a food shop at the end of the day with a focus on high quality, low priced goods. It was interesting to learn that they banned credit, aware of the problems debt caused for workers, as well as the birth of the more familiar ‘divi’ whereby profits were shared in line with purchases. The movement grew in part because of the hostility of other businesses. They objected to their prices being undercut and refused to supply the coops – leading the business to expand into wholesale, shipping and agriculture.
The play also covered the birth of self-service supermarkets, the stagnation and later regeneration of coop stores, the recognition of the role of women members, the wider links to current interest in fair trade goods and Sean Connery’s first job!
