The project originally began as a community theatre project with eighteen Romany Gypsy and Minceir/Pavee (Irish Traveller) women who shared their stories of abuse with us to produce a play. Together with the late playwright Jennie Buckman from Giants theatre, NGTBY was created.
Threading aspects of the women’s lives together, the film tells the story of 17-year-old Moira La Bas, who is about to sit her ‘A’ Levels when she meets Patrick, an older divorcee at a St Patrick’s Day dance. He woos her and wins her over, but Moira’s mother Evie foresees disaster and tries to rally the community to save her daughter.
In 2018 we secured a small fund enabling us to work with Jennie and her son Michael Buckman (Crispy Biscuit Films), to develop a film version of the play. Jennie adapted the text into an original screenplay, which was then rehearsed and shot over a period of weeks. The characters in the film are portrayed by a mix of women and men from the Traveller Movement and professional actors.
“An important, poignant piece of theatre. It brought me to tears. This script telling stories from the community is incredibly powerful.”
Watch the film online here or contact women@travellermovement.org.uk to organise a screening!
