A mother hurls her newborn baby into the outstretched arms of a stranger. A toddler wraps her determined limbs around her father’s tired body. An old woman holds a page of newspaper she cannot read containing a photograph of a familiar face in a distant alien country. A girl grips the gunwale smoothed and shaped by her uncle’s hand and cries out “land!”
Inspired by ancient keening rituals, Move~Gluasad is a multi-story performance about migration, loss and the common human experience of grief. Weaving multi-lingual storytelling, choral soundscape and Gaelic song, five women build a picture of the ebb and flow of people across the globe through the ages.
Move~Gluasad is the first production by Disaster Plan, a new company led by award-winning theatre makers Julia Taudevin and Kieran Hurley, whose previous collaborations include Beats, Chalk Farm, Rantin, Heads Up, and Blow Off.
The show will have its world premiere at four community venues across Lewis – Kinloch Community Hub, Carloway Community Centre, Uig Community Centre and Back Community Centre – in partnership with Lewis-based arts organisation sruth-mara, in association with An Lanntair and with support from Creative Scotland’s Open Fund.
All audience members are invited to an optional pre-show singing workshop at 6.45pm during which the cast will teach some of the songs and singing techniques used in the show. Participants will then be invited to join in during the show at key moments if they wish, although there is no pressure to do so. The workshops will be in Gaelic and English.
There will be an additional performance at Platform in Easterhouse, Glasgow on the final night of Celtic Connections.
PERFORMANCE DATES
Monday 27 January – Kinloch Community Hub, Old School, Balallan
Wednesday 29 January– Carloway Community Centre
Thursday 30 January – Uig Community Centre
Friday 31 January – Back Community Centre
Sunday 2 February – Platform, Easterhouse, Glasgow (as part of Celtic Connections)
At all four Lewis dates the singing workshop starts at 6.45pm and is included in ticket price. Each performance of the show begins at 8pm.
Move~Gluasad is written and directed by Julia Taudevin and performed by Julia with a cast that includes Mairi Morrison, Beldina Odenyo and Nerea Bello. Kieran Hurley is dramaturge, Anna Porubcansky is musical director, Ewan Downie movement director, Katharine Williams lighting designer and Catherine Barthram costume designer.
“The writing is brilliant, sharp, poetic, passionate, full of searing insight” – The Scotsman on Chalk Farm * * * *
“The concentrated power of a Greek tragedy… in exhilarating musical form” – The Guardian on Blow Off * * * *