The Playhouse – MyThirdPlace

As past and present experiences retranslate memory and place, they form a new and different experience of that place. The way that we experience place in the present is never the same experience as that had in the past, and they are always at odds. Truitt, A. Material Culture Vol. 45, No. 2 (Fall 2013), pp. 82-84 Truitt’s words ring true in this particular Third Place, The Playhouse.The more time you spend somewhere, the greater the chance of a spectrum of emotions and memories becoming entwined with said place. Some hopeful, satiating and positive – others that represent parcels of the past you’d rather put away forever. However, it’s within our agency to reclaim a space – with the meaning that it represents being forever fluid and changing. One more time around, begin again. The Playhouse Theatre has been going for thirty years, accelerating to the point of becoming an undisputed Norwich institution. Some come for the variety of shows put on in the theatre, others for the range of local ales at the bar, and many come to work in the day, putting the world to rites over a filter coffee. Many use it for all of the above and more. It represents a hub of creativity in this UNESCO City of Literature. People are afforded the opportunity to be themselves. Many students from the nearby University of the Arts frequent the bar in the day, other regulars stop in for a quick coffee and moment of contemplation over whatever they’re reading. Everything coalesces to provide a space as vibrant and diverse as the city itself. A microcosm. Coffee and quiet with your chosen people Personally, I’ve got an array of memories in this place. I’ve had relationships blossom and die in the realms of the courtyard. I’ve sat for beers with friends talking about the war of attrition in our work-life, scheming for ways to bring more meaning to our occupations. I’ve had pals blunder their way into the same courtyard and expel the previous round of drinks. Apologies for that particular image, b...