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Tickets on sale for trans-Atlantic community production for Mayflower 400
2nd December 2019
This Land, Theatre Royal Plymouth’s first ever trans-Atlantic community production, premieres on The Lyric stage from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 June 2020. Tickets are now on sale for this epic theatrical event, marking the 400 year anniversary of the Mayflower’s journey and its impact upon arrival in America.
Directed by Alan Lane, This Land is performed by a 150-strong community cast - 120 citizens from Plymouth and 30 members of the Wampanoag Tribe from Massachusetts.
Adrian Vinken OBE, Chief Executive at TRP, invited Alan to get on board following his earlier hugely successful community theatre productions, including Flood, created for the Hull City of Culture programme in 2017.
This Land tells the story of the Mayflower’s journey from Holland to Massachusetts, via Plymouth, and explores why the Pilgrims fled Europe for America. Their story is interwoven with that of the Wampanoag Tribe as they go about their daily lives, unaware of the Mayflower’s arrival and the enduring impact it would have on their way of life.
This Land features text by Devon based writer Nick Stimson, and scenes created with the Wampanoag Tribe and Plymouth, UK cast. The show also features songs by singer songwriter Seth Lakeman, which will be performed live by Seth and his band.
For the Wampanoag Tribe, telling their story in their way and on their terms is hugely significant. As Linda Coombs, Tribal member explains, “Simply stated, such acknowledgement is respect that all humans deserve. That is the only thing that will bring about healing of historical trauma caused by settlement and colonisation to a point of true reconciliation.”
The most ambitious part of the production sees the community cast reflect on the themes they have developed over several months, asking: “400 years on - where do we stand now?”
Alan Lane says that with This Land, the intention is to create “the most epic piece of theatre possible.”
“I don’t think this story has ever been told in this way before, and that is very exciting. The Wampanoag Tribe absolutely had to be right at the heart of this, telling their story. And bringing together the two communities connected by the story, to look at the ‘then and now’ themes, I don’t think that’s ever been done before either.
“Therefore, we are creating a remarkable piece of theatre - and the stars of the show are people living in the two communities. That’s pretty amazing!”
Workshops and rehearsals are taking place on both sides of the Atlantic, and the entire community will come together for full rehearsals eight days before the first performance.
Adrian Vinken said: “This is an emerging and dynamic production, telling the story of 1620 like it’s never been told before. Yes, it’s unpredictable and scary - but all the best pieces of theatre are challenging. And to do it, we have the best team possible - Alan Lane, Nick Stimson, Seth Lakeman, our creatives here at TRP, and the wonderful community cast.
“When we set out on this journey, we said we would throw everything at it to create a unique and hopefully, memorable production. We hope that This Land will be an extraordinary and unforgettable experience for participants and audience alike.”
The 120 citizens from Plymouth, UK include members of TRP’s community engagement projects, some of whom have fled danger in other countries to start a new life here. Together with the 30 cast members from the Wampanoag Tribe, they will be exploring the impact of 1620 - and how those events resonate today.
Engagement and Learning Director at TRP, Mandy Precious, said: “This is a great opportunity to enable people from all walks of life and backgrounds to co-create a piece of theatre. Not only is it on our biggest stage but it’s also an amazing opportunity to work alongside the Wampanoag Tribe – something that’s unlikely to ever be repeated. We’re still looking for people to get involved so watch out for the next ‘Meet the Director’ session with Alan Lane on Tuesday 17th December 2019.”
Tickets are priced from £10 and can be booked online at www.theatreroyal.com or by calling Theatre Royal Plymouth Box Office on 01752 267222.