We catch up with writer Tassa Deparis ahead of More... Ghost Stories by Candlelight, a ghostly touring theatre production featuring her chilling Suffolk-based tale
Tell us about More... Ghost Stories by Candlelight and how you got involved?
It’s a performance of four modern ghost stories, written by four writers. They are all set in different parts of East Anglia, and I would say that the locations, as much as the characters, tell the story. They all tackle pressing contemporary concerns, whilst also creating a wonderfully chilling experience for the audience.
I got involved because of an exciting invitation to do so by Clare Slater, the artistic director of writer-centred theatre company HighTide. She has been nurturing me as an artist living in East Anglia since she came across my work, and she is a real champion of new writing and new voices. She brought me into the fold, inviting me to be part of a residency with the company, which meant I’ve felt I’ve had a place and artistic home - an increasingly rare privilege. The residency as well as the challenge of writing a ghost story have been steep, yet exciting, learning curves.
Can we have a sneak preview of your story – no spoilers, please!
It’s set in Suffolk, and I was really spoilt for choice when picking a location, with so many evocative and moody landscapes here. In the end, it was hard not to set mine where I did as it’s an already spooky place full of ghosts. The story is loosely about loss and a village with all the changes that happen over time. It also touches on issues around housing and how we think about the future.
What does your work normally focus on, and are ghost stories a departure?
What’s interesting is how different the show’s four ghost stories are, which I think shows that as writers we’ve created the stories very much with our own voices. Personally, I think I’m always writing about ghosts in one way or another. I think we live with all kinds of spectres in our everyday, and I often think about how the past exists in the present and the future, which seeps into what I’m writing.
I also think I instinctively want to bring the natural world into the stories I write. Creating a ghost story that grew out of the landscape and can only exist in its particular location felt like an augmentation of that impulse. The biggest leap in my writing might be the way I experimented with style and language in this story. I really enjoyed leaning into the genre and had a lot of fun playing with it.
I currently live in Woodbridge. I remember when my son was a baby, I’d push him in his buggy along the river while he napped, and there was this one bend that would always arrest me. The dramatic tidal changes, the reeds, the wading birds, somehow it always got me and caught me by surprise. I’ve got streams of photos of the exact same spot. I really love how many different kinds of landscapes I have such easy access to. I like that my children watch, touch, feel and play in those landscapes, and that they have a beautiful relationship to nature.
What brought you to the county?
I got to know Suffolk as an adult. I met my partner a few lifetimes ago, and consistently, he’d bring me ‘home’ to Suffolk and take me to all his favourite places, and we’d sometimes discover some new favourite places too. I got snapshots of what the area had to offer and watched some of the changes over time. I think there’s a relationship with me falling in love and being in Suffolk, and it felt right to raise our children here.
Can you give us a whistlestop tour of your career so far?
I think it’s been a bit like a slow dance. I think this is partly to do with my readiness to open myself up and tell the stories I really want to, and also to do with coming from a background where I didn’t know how to become a writer. I’ve had opportunities grow out of open callouts, and it’s been amazing to discover so much support, kindness and generosity within the industry. I think I’ve been very fortunate to have crossed paths with a few amazing people, including those at HighTide, who do so much behind the scenes with limited resources.
What's next for you?
I feel like I’m in a good space creatively with a few ideas haunting me, so hopefully, more writing!
See the stories of Tassa Deparis, James McDermott, Eloise Pennycott, and Aisha Zia brought to life in theatres across the East of England from October 15 to November 2. Visit hightide.org.uk for details and tickets.
