Preview: Kin at Newcastle Northern Stage

Gecko’s new production Kin is coming to Newcastle

Kin

Newcastle Northern Stage

Wednesday 1 - Saturday 4 March 2023

Photo: Richard Haughton

Award-winning internationally acclaimed physical theatre company Gecko goes live with their new touring production Kin, including four performances at Northern Stage in Newcastle from 1-4 March 2023.

Photo: Mark Sepple

Gecko’s new show presents a provocative story of desperation and compassion, inspired by the epic journey from Yemen to Palestine that Artistic Director Amit Lahav’s grandmother Leah made with her family in 1932 to escape persecution. At a time when the re-birth of community and acceptance seem vital to our survival, our international devising performers bring their own experiences of migration, racism, empathy, and home to this poetically intoxicating performance.

Photo: Mark Sepple

Gecko’s Artistic Director Amit Lahav said: “Every production that I create starts with a personal reflection combined with a current wider societal issue. In 2017, I visited my grandmother in Israel where we talked about her journey from Yemen to Palestine to escape persecution, as well as my family’s history more broadly. Kin was ultimately inspired by the desire to delve deeper into the complex mix of migration stories that make up who I am. Migration is a facet of human existence – we all have migration stories whether we’re aware of them or whether they’re more distant, and that excites me because we have the potential to encourage a profoundly positive, celebratory voyage towards empathy. We exist both where we’ve come from and where we’re going; this is what I wanted to explore through the creation of Kin.”

Photo: Mark Sepple

Commissioned by the National Theatre, Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre said: “I’ve been following Gecko’s work for a number of years and have a growing admiration for their dynamic and fearless approach to story in motion. Allied to this their commitment to internationalism, with completely integrated educational work, as well as their deeply embedded UK wide touring ethos, is hugely impressive. Their presence at the National Theatre is overdue, and we look forward very much to them being with us.”

Photo: John Ferguson

Gecko will be touring including Northern Stage in Newcastle from 1-4 March and the debut at the National Theatre in autumn 2023.

Show running time 90 minutes

Age guidance 14+

Creatives

Created by: Amit Lahav

Collaborating with:

Designer: Rhys Jarman

Lighting: Chris Swain

Sound: Mark Melville

With original music by Dave Price

Devising Performers:  Madeleine Fairminer, Vanessa Guevara Flores, Saju Hari, Wai Shan Vivian Luk, Miguel Hernando Torres Umba, Mario Patrón, Ryen Perkins-Gangnes, Kenny Wing Tao Ho.

Producer: Rosalind Wynn

Assistant Director: Andres Velasquez

Company Stage Manager: Alyssa Watts

Technical Stage Manager: Jake Channon

Design Associate: Blythe Brett

Costume Supervisors: Gayle Playford, Becky-Dee Trevenen

Lighting Associate: Lucy Adams

Sound Engineer: Sharon Tsang

Photo: Mark Sepple

For Gecko:

Artistic Director: Amit Lahav

Executive Producer: Rosalind Wynn

Associate Director: Helen Baggett

Creative Engagement Producer: Paul Smethurst

Finance Manager: Andy Brumwell

Head of Operations & Development: Steve Allman

Producing Assistant: Malachy Luckie

Tickets: https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/kin/ 

Box Office: 0191 230 5151