When pottery meets the West End: Ghost stars get creative at Mitford Pottery
Stars of the hit musical Ghost took a creative detour as their press reached the North East, recreating one of its most iconic scenes.
Visiting one of the area’s few working potteries, Mitford Pottery at the North East BIC in Sunderland, Rebekah Lowings and Josh St.Clair recreated the memorable pottery scene from the original 1990 Ghost film.
Alan Dunnighan, founder of Mitford Pottery, hosted the stars of the musical at his studio, where they were also given the opportunity to experience pottery firsthand.
Alan set up Mitford Pottery three years ago after watching the popular TV show ‘The Great Pottery Throw Down’ and developing a real passion for the craft.
He said: “My interest in pottery came from my obsession with the show. I thought, it must be a good idea to have a studio with wheels, so people can experience the potter’s wheel and hopefully become as passionate about it as I have.”
The pottery visit was a part of the star’s press tour while promoting the Sunderland run of Ghost the Musical at the Sunderland Empire.
During the visit, Rebekah and Josh worked together to create a vase, which Alan plans to glaze and send to them at their final North East performance in Middlesborough in a few weeks’ time. As a memento of their time at the studio, the stars also left with souvenir mugs, one of Alan’s signature creations – agateware mugs featuring beautiful, swirled patterns.
Alan, who balances his pottery business with his day job in IT, is aiming to make Mitford Pottery his full-time profession. “It’s an expensive hobby at the minute, but with experiences like this and the support from the BIC, I’m hoping to take the next step and do what I love full time.”
Mitford Pottery offers a variety of classes for budding potters, including evening sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays, pottery club on Thursdays, and taster sessions on Saturdays. The classes give participants the chance to create their own pieces, from design to glazing.
Reflecting on the visit from the Ghost the musical stars, Alan said: “It was fantastic publicity for my small business and for the larger BIC site. I hope it inspires more people to come down, have a go on the wheel, and just see how fun and rewarding pottery can be.”