Landfill of Memories
Landfill of Memories
Landfill of Memories was originally presented as a three hour durational performance and commissioned as part of Emergency StopGap by Word of Warning.
It all began when…
…I had a breakdown. Isn’t that how all the great comedies start?!
During lockdown, like so many of us who struggled to connect with our families physically, or failed to yeast up a sourdough starter, we spent too much time by ourselves. This has obvious limitations. You’re not supposed to spend that much time by yourself; it’s unusual. Some quiet time is valuable, but months at a time is a different kind of torture method. Whilst many did star jumps in their living rooms or were very busy having Covid-babies, I got the FOMO too. I had to do something. What should I do? Go look? At all of my ‘stuff’? Oh no no no. Why would I do that? What? You want me to go through all of my possessions that I haven’t looked at for 10 years, that keep building in mass, and that I never think about or acknowledge, but hide from strangers, so no one knows it’s there, but I know exactly what’s in each box, even though it’s complete chaos? Don’t be ridiculous.
Landfill of Memories (2021)
Home, Manchester. Photo by Aidan Ryan.
Hoarding usually begins at a young age and can stem from not having many belongings as a child, seeing parents do the same, and/or increases after a trauma.
Susanna had been hoarding newspapers, birthday cards, letters from prisoners, McFly posters, gig tickets, theatre programmes, a rock from an ex-boyfriend, keys to unknown doors, and other miscellaneous items, so when Susanna's Dad and Sister died (18 months apart) the hoarding grew to astronomical levels.
Landfill of Memories is an autobiographical performance about hoarding and our relationship to trauma, grief and letting go…
Once the material is gone from her life, the show can never be seen again…
Gallery
Landfill of Memories Podcast
With the support from Audio Always, Landfill of Memories was able to transform into a podcast.
The Landfill of Memories podcast is all about looking back at the things we keep ‘for the memories’. In each episode, Susanna asks guests to bring in three significant memories from their lives. The first item is a childhood memory, the second is an item from a tough time, and lastly, a memory they'll cherish forever. After each discussion, the guest will decide whether to keep the memory or shred it into pieces.
The podcast was supported by Audio Always via the ‘Manchester Amplified’ scheme. The scheme was launched in May 2022 to celebrate the Salford-based audio production company’s 10th anniversary! The podcast was selected by a panel of experts from across arts and media, including Keisha Thompson ( Artistic Director of Contact Theatre), Linton Stephens (BBC Radio 3 presenter), Nathaniel J Hall (Co-Artistic Director of Dibby Theatre) and Jane Beese (Director of Music at MIF).
You can listen to all the episodes here!
What audiences say…
Landfill of Memories had me howling and sobbing - a brilliant structure with sections of real-life memory shredding. A skilful show about grief and hoarding and processing loss in real time - Amanda Fawcett, Producer
I cried and laughed, it was powerful. - Industries, DJ
From the mundane - train tickets from Northampton to Manchester, to the even more mundane - tickets from Salford to Manchester. To the templated universal - guides to tourist attractions, bib numbers of fun runs. The intriguingly personal - ripped and repaired photos, birthday cards 10+ year old with fewer kisses than desired. The moving act of shredding photos of family and loved ones. Photos fade, but memories and feelings fade faster? The very current zeitgeist of shared nostalgia (member-berries?) reformed through the intimate nostalgia of paper possessions. All given context with smiles, raised eyebrows, perfectly pitched delivery and embracing ad-libs. McFly. 5 stars.
Landfill of Memories takes the audience on a rollercoaster of a journey, dealing with identity, loss, death and the joy found in life's memories, writer and performer Susanna leads us down into her world giving us snapshots of parts of her life, the good the bad and the sometimes heartbreaking. She delicately balances this thought-provoking piece with flourishes of comedy and sometimes macabre humour. She guides the audience to really engage with her and think about their own lives and their own memories without being forceful or too critical. By showing us her own life and memories and what it takes for her to (physically!!) shred them (those family photographs! But as she so sweetly asks, would we keep them??) she is hoping to gain some catharsis and show people that there can be absolute joy in letting go and maybe we should try it. I for one certainly will and I cannot wait to see what this talented performer has in store next.
I can't imagine what it's like to share something so personal to audiences, never quite knowing how or if they will respond. You only hope they will understand and connect so that has to he applauded first and foremost. It was a great performance and I definitely felt like I was taken on a journey. You rightly challenged preconceptions about hoarders so not only was your show entertaining but also insightful. I've never seen a play about hoarders and hoarding before but it's certainly a phenomenon that's not going away anytime soon so what you said needed to be said and the fact you found a way to do so through performance is brilliant. Not only was your show funny and insightful but also poignant.
What a brave thing to do!
Wow. And sad. And wow. And couldn’t stop laughing….
Captivating.
I could’ve watched it all night. Such an interesting and unique piece.
I loved it. Susanna was amazing!
Fuck knows how Susanna made reading train tickets so entertaining!
Susanna’s shredding work was so thoughtful, delicate & funny!
Brilliant – really smart and funny.
Loved Landfill of Memories – from another hoarder – very brave! Emotional and funny!
Landfill of Memories - amazing! So moving and yet hilarious. Absolutely my fave.
Susanna Amato was a highlight of the night!
Susanna was so thoughtful, delicate and funny.
[SUSANNA] brilliant – really smart / funny.
Loved Landfill of Memories – from another hoarder – very brave! And emotional / funny!
Landfill of Memories [SUSANNA] – amazing! So moving and yet hilarious. Absolutely my fave.
SUSANNA Amato a highlight.
I really enjoyed SUZI AMATO shredding her hoarded memories.
Susanna was hilarious. A natural comic who can tread the line between funny and profound really skillfully. I love the little snapshots of life as she junks them into the shredder. And the Disney-esque show tune at the start was smart.
An absolute rollercoaster of emotions.
Emotive Downsizing TED Talk.
Funny, poignant, original.
Shredding nervous laughter.
Emotional edge of seat.
Shred the lot!
When is the next podcast series coming out?!
Legacy of Landfill
Timeline:
(Feb 2020) Emergency StopGap, Word of Warning, Manchester (commissioned artist)
(March 2020) Covid-19 Pandemic begins…
(July 2021) New Mills Art Trail, New Mills (commissioned artist)
(Nov 2021) PUSH 21, HOME, Manchester (finalist)
(Mar 2023) Greater Manchester Hoarding Improvement Partnership Symposium, performance workshop
(April 2023) SPRINT Festival, Camden People’s Theatre, London
(May 2023) Hoarding Awareness Week, North West Conferences, Liverpool and Manchester
(Jan 2023) Landfill of Memories chosen by Audio Always
(July 2023) Landfill of Memories Podcast launches across all streaming platforms
(Sept 2023) SICK! Festival, hoarding workshop
(Sept 2024) Making Space, Bristol, performance workshop
(May 2024) Hoarding Awareness Week, North West Conferences, Manchester and Liverpool
(May 2025) Hoarding Awareness Week, Conferences, Liverpool and Walsall
Collaborators and Supporters
During the various iterations of Landfill of Memories, all of these amazing people have helped to sustain and grow this project, to which I am eternally grateful:
Alice Robinson & Jon Matthews, outside eye live performance; Brian Destiny, composer; Caitlin LM, composer and producer; Emily Johnstone, animator; James Rushton, composer and engineer; Amanda Fawcett, programme producer, HOME; Davinia Jokhi, talent development producer, HOME; Sean Pritchard and Georgia Neild, tech support, HOME; Tamsin Drury, hÅb; Lyn Bannister, New Mills Art Trail; Manchester International Festival Matchmakers; Jonathan Booth, writing support; Jonathan Andrew Burniston, costume support; Carlie Foster, Audio Always Producer.
Podcast Guests: Cheddar Gorgeous; Ian Porter; Alice Robinson; Denise Harrop; Daniel Hoffman-Gill; Keisha Thompson
Word of Warning (hÅb), HOME, Manchester, The Pleasance Theatre Trust, Audio Always, Hoarders Helping Hoarders Peer Support Network, Hoarding Disorder UK, Making Space, Bristol, University of Salford