A new theatre company has been staging its first production at a pub in a Suffolk town.

East Anglian Daily Times: The QuirkHouse Theatre Company staging their first ever production Talking in the Library at Oakes Barn in Bury St Edmunds. Sarah Lockhart as student BethanyThe QuirkHouse Theatre Company staging their first ever production Talking in the Library at Oakes Barn in Bury St Edmunds. Sarah Lockhart as student Bethany (Image: Archant)

Last week saw performances of the sell-out show Talking in the Library, which is being brought to Oakes Barn in St Andrew’s Street South in Bury St Edmunds by the QuirkHouse Theatre Company.

QuirkHouse is the brainchild of Jackie Carreira and Andrew James Deane, both from the town, who share a passion for theatre, new writing and bringing brand new plays and revivals to the public.

Their philosophy behind the theatre company is to have a keen eye for local talent and find and work with some of the best found and undiscovered actors and directors in the area.

They said: “We intend to borrow, steal and sometimes even share this talent with other companies across the county and hope to collaborate with virtually anyone that is prepared to work with us in the theatre industry – as long as they are fair and provide coffee and cakes!”

The very first production from QuirkHouse - Talking in the Library - is being staged in an upstairs function room at Oakes Barn with just 35 audience seats.

Ms Carreira drew inspiration for the play while in the coffee shop of London’s British Museum. “I sat watching the people around me and wondered what their stories might be. In a place where silence is usually demanded what would the residents say out loud if they could? It was a simple idea really. The result is a play about people and their relationships with books, what they love about them, dread and dream about them.”

It features the character of Mari, who originally appeared in a half-hour monologue of the same name. The longer play, Talking in the Library, was born to include other characters that inhabit the world of the library.