UNSPOKEN STORIES TOLD
IN ROYAL REMEMBRANCE DAY PERFORMANCE
Unspoken
Newcastle Theatre Royal
The one-off production will be the
culmination of a five week theatre project run by the Bravo 22 Company, The
Royal British Legion's recovery through the arts programme, and is being
delivered in partnership with the Newcastle Theatre Royal and The Drive
Project.
The cast includes veterans who’ve
suffered life-changing injures as well as family members with a loved one in
the forces. Writer Gary Kitching has based the script on their real life
memories and experiences and created a
rare theatrical work, a hilariously heart-wrenching tale of love, loss,
loneliness and hope.
Kitching, who has 20 years’ acting
experience, including projects with young offenders said: “It’s their stories
and if I can write something they are proud to perform then my job is done. It’s
their ability to get on and deal with whatever is thrown at them, and their
ability to find humour in the darkest places. I think they will surprise,
entertain and move a lot of people.”
 |
Ray Winstone, Bravo 22
Company Ambassador, met with the Unspoken cast on location last week to give
them some acting tips ahead of their Remembrance Sunday performance.
Left to right: Dave
Griffin, Graham Limb, Gary Kitching (writer), Tip Cullen, Luke Delahunty, Ian
Rudge, Jono Farrelly, Jez Scarratt, Ray Winstone, Mick Carroll, Larraie Smith,
Kim Hoffmann (Producer), Simon Graham, Alice Driver (The Drive Project) &
Matt Wightman
|
Unspoken follows in the footsteps of several hugely successful theatre and art
projects that Bravo 22 company has run over the past six years. Its debut, The Two Worlds of Charlie F, received
standing ovations throughout its West End run in 2012 and went on to tour the
UK and Canada, including a critically acclaimed visit to Newcastle Theatre
Royal in 2014. Furthermore, in December last year, 30 members of Newcastle’s
Armed Forces community performed and produced sell-out show Wor Stories at the Theatre, another
breathtaking production based on real life experiences.
Bravo 22 Company was created by
Alice Driver in partnership with The Royal British Legion, the Ministry of
Defence and the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2011 to help improve self-awareness,
confidence, self-esteem and motivation in order to aid personnel with
individual paths to recovery.
Directing the show will be Newcastle
Theatre Royal Artistic Director Phil Hoffmann.
Phil said: “For the last two years,
the Learning Department has
been working in partnership with The Drive Project and The Royal British Legion
(RBL) to deliver projects for Wounded, Injured and Sick Service Personnel,
veterans and their families. Last year we delivered Wor Stories - a
regional project with participants from the NE, but in January we began working
on Unspoken - a much larger project.”
Most of the cast of
Unspoken have taken part in
previous Bravo 22 Company projects and one of the stars is former Royal Marine
Tip Cullen. After 30 years as a commando Tip left the army in 2015. His first acting break came in Bravo 22’s Boots at the Door in Plymouth Hollywood films
including Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ and Kingsmen 2. He’ll join this Bravo
22 cast fresh from filming in Canada
Alice Driver, Founder and Managing Director
for The Drive Project, commented; “The Bravo 22 Company journey has been
incredible to oversee. Six years on from our first performance and around
230 people have been through this process. Reuniting cast members from all over
the country for this performance is really special for me. What makes this type
of theatre unique is not only what the audience gets out of seeing a show based
on real life experiences but also how the cast grow in confidence, form new
friendships and use the stage as a platform for their voice”
Unspoken was commissioned
to support RBL’s national campaign of Remembrance, moving into 2018 which marks
100 years since the end of WWI.
As such, Newcastle Theatre Royal will be
used as a focus for the regional Remembrance campaign which will feed into the
national campaign. As well as having official RBL poppy sellers outside the
theatre in the run up to the production on the 12 November, a major new art
installation will be positioned on the Theatre’s terrace between 25 October
- 13 November. Created by award-winning artist Mark Humphrey the sculpture
features a 3m tall ‘Centenary Soldier’ standing on a plinth of limestone sourced
from the Somme . The figure is inspired by the
iconic ‘Unknown Soldier’ in Paris
Unspoken is also one of the
cultural highlights of Newcastle Freedom City
2017, a city-wide programme commemorating the 50th anniversary of Dr
Martin Luther King being awarded an honorary degree by Newcastle University
Tickets:
Unspoken is at Newcastle Theatre Royal for ONE NIGHT ONLY on
Sunday 12 November 2017 at 7pm. Tickets are from £10 and can be purchased from
the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk
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