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Manifesto
for a New City
Newcastle Northern Stage
Thursday 15th – Saturday 17th
October 2015
Commemorating
the 10th anniversary of the death of award-winning writer Julia Darling,
Northern Stage is producing a revival of her witty and uplifting musical play, Manifesto
for a New City (15-17 October).
Inspired
by the city she loved and the events surrounding her, Julia worked with Jim
Kitson to set her series of poems to music, creating what was to be both her
first ever musical and her final work. First performed ten years ago in 2005
and intended as a reflective look at the city of Newcastle going through a major
phase of development and change, Manifesto is arguably just as relevant
in 2015. In an interview with Tamzin Lewis for Culture magazine in February
2005 shortly before her death, Julia said, “I think people are becoming more
politicised and I am hoping A Manifesto for a New City will be timely. I
want it to be a bit of a stirrer. I want people to feel fired up.
“Is
Manifesto
based on a utopian idea? It started off as a utopia but like a lot of
utopias became a dystopia – a nightmare. It was completely unsustainable. In my
manifesto I removed all middle management so there is nobody in suits. All the
luxury flats have been given to artists. The artists are in control but they
can’t organise anything. There are no cars so it would be a Luddite world. The
more I thought about the repercussions, the more I thought it was totally
impractical. My manifesto could never work! In a way A Manifesto for a New City is just a
discussion.”
Northern
Stage’s Director of Participation and Producer of the show Kylie Lloyd explains
why Northern Stage is bringing Manifesto back and opening up that
discussion again, “I saw it ten years ago and was captivated by the songs
and the description of this place I call home. It was a memorable moment and
I’ve always wanted to bring it back to Newcastle [Northern Stage was closed
for refurbishment at the time, so it toured in the region but didn’t play at
Northern Stage]. The time felt right in 2015, and I’m really delighted that
through an open call we have attracted a diverse cast of community performers,
singers and professionals to perform the show.”
Julia
said, “Even though the manifesto doesn’t work there were glimpses of things
which were really good. There have been moments in political history when
someone has done something really audacious and memorable, and it has changed
in a way how people feel about things. That is what I wanted the manifesto to really
be about, glimpses of the possibility of change.”
Director
Emma Roxburgh: “It’s about opening conversations and reminding people that
everyone has a voice. I love Julia’s humour, and her view of the world. She
really understood people; her plays make ‘normality’ interesting. I’m really
excited to be working with Steve Morton too (currently on tour with Martha and
the Vandellas) - there’s a lot of a cappella singing in the play and, as a
member of his choir, I know he’s brilliant at bringing people together.”
Gateshead-based
singer Kerry Green plays the Nurse. She recently appeared in Godspell at the
Sunderland Empire and as a vocalist she’s involved projects ranging from an
original 8 piece funk band to playing at the Manchester Jazz Festival recently.
She says, “I’m excited to be involved in this production as I think both the
plays' satirical message and human behaviour traits remains current; at times
many of us can relate to this disgruntled point of view. People often remark about
wanting 'change' in many aspects of their lives; which may be fuelled by
socio-economical, political, cultural constraints or power - but is change only
short lived and does it soon become the norm?”
Ann
Ridley from Heaton in Newcastle plays the Clerk. She
says, “I saw 'Manifesto for a New City' in 2005 at the Customs
House and was bowled over by it. The music was compelling. I remember rows of
chairs and a sort of geometric choreography. There’s a real feeling of
solidarity in rehearsals; it’s so uplifting to sing such wonderful lyrics and
harmonies.”
Alongside
the production, Northern Stage is running a season of events to encourage
people to make their own Manifestos for change. Starting with an Open Stages
project for children aged 5-12 and working with local schools in autumn to
continue the project, Northern Stage has also teamed up with New Writing North
and Juice Festival to support a series of writing workshops for young people.
Northern
Stage Director of Participation, Kylie Lloyd explains, “The team
here, inspired by Julia’s work and by the media attention on Newcastle as a
city dealing with large cuts in council budgets and services, have taken the
idea of ‘Manifesto’ as a central theme to our work in 2015.
“Earlier
in the year we created the #minimanifesto project, which celebrated children’s
ideas for change, and we’re working with Kenton School this term to create
their Manifestos, teaming up with a school in Detroit to try to understand if
there is any truth in the 2014 Guardian article alleging ‘Newcastle is Britain’s
Detroit’.
“We
would also love to hear from the people of Newcastle, so as part of the
project we’ve set up a Twitter campaign, exploring the hidden secret spaces of
our city and asking people to make a pledge using #Newcastleipromiseto
@Manifesto_NS.”
Tickets:
Manifesto for a New City by Julia Darling comes to Newcastle’s Northern Stage from Thursday 15th –
Saturday 17th October 2015, 7.30pm - £10
/ £8 concs.
Box
Office: www.northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/manifesto-for-a-new-city
or phone 0191 230 5151
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