In 2010 an incredible woman called Tricia Ellis set up a running group in Blackpool, for women over 50. Her aim was to run the Edinburgh marathon. 34 women turned up to the first training session and two years later, in 2012, 28 of those women crossed the finish line. My mum was one of them. The group were full of fascinating life-stories and the more I got to know them the more I felt like somebody had to write about their journey. At the time, I was studying for my MA in Musical Theatre, and began to write lyrics inspired by the group. When I met Monica and heard her music I was sure she was the perfect person to work on the show. Thankfully she said yes, and Jog On was born.

 

A year later, Morrison + Aspinall produced a development workshop of the show, supported by Arts Council England. This culminated in a rehearsed reading in the Blackpool Winter Gardens directed by Charlotte Peters. The reading received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the local audience, including the Goalden Girls themselves. Since then, Monica, Charlotte and I have been making the necessary changes to Jog On. We are extremely excited to have the show produced as part of the So and So festival, and would like to say a huge thank you to Sarah Berger for her enthusiasm for the project. 

 

We believe passionately in the power of the Goalden Girls' story to inspire audiences of all ages. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to follow, write and share their amazing journey.

 

Stephanie x