Posted on April 18th, 2019
Disruption: the future of new theatre
Programme announced
Co-curated by HighTide and Assembly
Wednesday 31st July – Monday 26th August 2019
We’re thrilled to announce our programme for Disruption, in partnership with Assembly, presented exclusively at Assembly Roxy during Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019.
The six pieces chosen demonstrate HighTide and Assembly Festival’s shared vision for new writing as a space of political, contemporary and provocative work, created by new, diverse artists.
From HighTide’s home county, East Anglian writer Kenny Emson’s Rust is the centrepiece of the programme, following performances at Bush Theatre who co-produce the production.
Also in Disruption are new productions Collapsible by Irish writer Margaret Perry, Pops which sees Charlotte Josephine return to Edinburgh with her first piece solely as a writer and a double bill of shows presented with The Queer House from writers Teddy Lamb and Mika Johnson, Since U Been Gone and Pink Lemonade. Finally, demonstrating Assembly’s commitment to supporting Scottish new writing, Kevin P. Gilday’s Suffering From Scottishness completes the curated programme.
Disruption references the type of shows in the season, and the approach to producing them through an open call. Disruption shows HighTide’s continued commitment to supporting exciting theatre makers and providing them with the very best platform to be heard.
In addition to the six productions, Disruption will feature a programme of events throughout the month in keeping with the season’s commitment to contemporary and provocative work. These additional events will be announced at a later date.
Find out more about each production below.
Tickets are now on sale from www.assemblyfestival.com.
Rust by Kenny Emson
Rust is about pushing the boundaries of trust, love and lust to the limit in this ultra- contemporary, sexy and funny production from Kenny Emson (Plastic, Old Red Lion) and directed by Eleanor Rhode (King John, Royal Shakespeare Company, Boudica, Shakespeare’s Globe). Nadia and Daniel have just signed for a flat. Under a pseudonym, naturally. After years of married life, this is their chance to start again. But, as much as they redefine the rules, the outside world is closing in. Rust is a love story about two people who didn’t expect to fall in love again. It’s about the societal pressures that can sometimes trap us, preventing us from chancing something or someone new.
Collapsible by Margaret Perry
Collapsible (winner of VAULT Festival 2019’s Origin Award for Outstanding New Work) is a funny, furious new monologue about holding on in this collapsing world, by award-winning Irish writer Margaret Perry (Porcelain, Abbey Theatre), directed by Thomas Martin (Ross and Rachel). Following the life of a complex, funny bisexual woman, it looks at the difficulties of finding connections to people when you don’t feel connected to yourself. Blending a fearless, psychologically acute female performance with a set intervention that appears to float the performer in the air, we see that the protagonist, despite everyone’s protestations, quite literally doesn’t have her feet on the ground.
Pops by Charlotte Josephine
Pops from award-winning writer Charlotte Josephine (Bitch Boxer, Blush), directed by Ali Pidsley of Barrel Organ, and co-produced by Live Theatre, follows a father and daughter caught in a cycle of addiction. Despite everything, they’re really trying to honestly connect, forgive the unforgivable and love fiercely through a hopeless situation. Asking challenging questions about mental health, Pops looks at what is inherited and who is responsible, particularly in this harsh political climate. There are stubborn stigmas around mental health, particularly for the working class, and Pops seeks to tell a story that rids people of self-inflicted shame.
The Queer House Double Bill
Since U Been Gone by Teddy Lamb
Pink Lemonade by Mika Johnson
An exciting double bill between HighTide and The Queer House sees Since U Been Gone by Teddy Lamb and Mika Johnson’s Pink Lemonade alternate performances every day. Lamb’s moving autobiographical account of growing up queer in the East Midlands, finding yourself, and losing a friend is brought to life in Since U Been Gone with storytelling and an original pop music score. Johnson’s Pink Lemonade is a multi-disciplinary solo show, exploring masculinity and lesbianism in Black womxn. Fusing spoken word, bashment, original sound and movement, Pink Lemonade deconstructs micro-aggressions and explores the discourse around the fetishism of Black and Brown bodies.
Suffering From Scottishness by Kevin P. Gilday
An immersive theatrical experience that confronts the unique absurdity of Scottish identity, Suffering From Scottishness from award-winning writer and spoken word artist Kevin P. Gilday (Sonnet Youth, National Theatre of Scotland, BBC) turns a hilariously caustic eye on notions of nationhood and patriotism. From history to inventions, language to neighbourly relations, the Scottish independence referendum to the toxic mire of present political debate – Citizen Scotland invite audiences to take part in a focus group that will define the very future of the nation, for better or worse as they gleefully dissect the dark heart of the country.
