NTS Stream for Lyceum
Lament for Sheku Bayoh gets November dates
A new play about the death of Sheku Bayoh in police custody in Kirkcaldy in 2015, performed at the Lyceum, is at the heart of the National Theatre of Scotland’s latest activities.
Hannah Lavery’s Lament for Sheku Bayoh is to be streamed from the Lyceum on three dates in November, as the NTS continues to adapt its “without-walls” model for the Covid pandemic.
Jackie Wylie. Pic: Eoin Carey
Other news from the NTS includes Ghosts – an augmented reality walk through Glasgow which explore the legacies of Glasgow’s slaving history, a soundtrack album of music from The 306 Trilogy and the announcement of three new associate artists.
“What theatre as a medium can do best is react to the issues facing us a nation,” said NTS artistic director Jackie Wylie.
“I am pleased to announce that we will be bringing two important pieces of work to theatrical life; both speak urgently to the times we are living in by exploring current and historical issues of race, identity, and social justice, as well as blending the live experience through digital platforms.”
Lament for Sheku Bayoh
Lament for Sheku Bayoh is Lavery’s personal response to the 31 year-old’s death, an expression of grief for the loss of the human behind the headlines and a non-apologetic reflection on identity and racism in Scotland today.
Lavery said: “I hope that Lament for Sheku Bayoh will be the beginning of a journey for audiences; that it will leave them with questions that they want answered and that it will give them an energy to pursue a better Scotland.
“And for some of us it will be an opportunity to be seen and heard and to have an experience and a knowledge of this country shared.
Hannah Lavery. Pic Eoin Carey
“I think it’s important for us to be able to talk about Scotland in an honest way, and to not turn our head away from the things that might feel uncomfortable or challenge the idea we have of ourselves.
“It’s important for us all to see Sheku Bayou as a human being-hugely loved, full of promise and with dreams for his future – to take a moment to really mourn his loss.”
Associate director Caitlin Skinner and designer Kirsty Currie will be joining Hannah Lavery, who is writing and directing the show. It will be performed on the Lyceum stage and recorded as-live before being streamed.
Ghosts
Adura Onashile’s Ghosts is inspired by adverts placed in newspapers for the capture of escaped enslaved people in Glasgow and the rest of Scotland in the 17th and 18th centuries. It uses a smartphone app to add music and visuals to a walk through the heart of Glasgow.
Onashile says: “The boy that audiences will follow is our attempt to make real, over 500 years of history, rebellion, resistance and protest. When he ran away from his master on that day in the 17th century, he started a process that continues today.”
Adura Onashile. Pic: Eoin Carey
Between 2016 and 2018, the NTS staged The 306 Trilogy, with music by Gareth Williams and lyrics by Oliver Emanuel, commemorating the true story of the 306 men executed for cowardice, desertion and mutiny during the First World War.
Lost Light is a new album of music from the plays. It will be available on CD and download from 11 November 2020, marking Armistice Day. It is co-commissioned with 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary.
The NTS has also announced that Hannah Lavery has been made an Associate Artist with the company, she is joined by writer, director and performer Johnny McKnight. The existing associate artists Cora Bissett and Stewart Lang will continue in their roles.
In addition, Wezi Mhura has joined as a Creative Associate, working on a research and development project commissioning artists to exploring the creation of socially distanced theatre.
Scenes for Survival,
As the NTS’s lockdown series of digital films, Scenes for Survival, comes to an end, the complete series is still available for viewing online, through the NTS website. Eight of the 55 films will form the basis of the NTS’s input to Being Present, an international collaborative season with Italian cultural organisations, online in November.
Commenting on the new announcements, Wylie said: “The last few months have been incredibly challenging for everyone involved in the theatre industry.
“During the ongoing crisis we have adapted our model to ensure we can continue to connect with audiences, and over the summer we have been thrilled with the success of our fully digital projects, which have allowed us to provide vital work for creatives and theatre freelancers during a difficult period, and at the same time bring some joy and solace to audiences across Scotland and beyond.
“These projects we are announcing today blend the live theatre experience with the reach and potential that digital platforms offer us and are a positive step towards our essential aim to produce work for live audiences.
“Although theatre auditoriums across Scotland remain closed for now, we are thrilled to be able to re-open our rehearsal spaces at Rockvilla for socially-distanced development of new work.
“We are currently working closely with venue partners across Scotland with the intention of bringing back a fully live programme of touring work as soon as possible in 2021 whilst also exploring all the options available to us for bringing work to live theatre audiences ahead of this time.”
Listings:
Scenes for Survival
Currently Online: Stream here.
Lost Light
Released Wednesday 11 November 2020.
Further details here: Lost Light.
Lament for Sheku Bayoh
Online “as live” streaming from the Lyceum
Friday 20/Saturday 21 November 2020
Evenings: 8pm; matinee Sat: 1pm.
Tickets and further details: Book Here.
Ghosts
Glasgow Merchant City & online download
Fri 26 Feb- Fri 12 Mar 2021.
Further details here: Ghosts.
