Lampedusa

By Anders Lustgarten

Citizens Theatre in association with Wonder Fools

Telling the stories of human kindness behind the headlines, we staged the Scottish premiere of this play by Anders Lustgarten in 2017 at the Citizens Theatre.

The Italian island of Lampedusa lies in the Mediterranean between Sicily, Tunisia and Libya. Once, fisherman Stefano made a living here. Now, he uses his fishing boat to collect the bodies of drowned migrants from the sea. In the UK, Chinese-British student Denise is forced to go door to door for a payday loan company to finance her degree, meeting grinding poverty and racist prejudices as well as small acts of charity.

Alongside the production we delivered school workshops, post show discussions with a panel of migration experts, as well as a fundraising campaign in support of the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC). We also collaborated with SRC and the Maryhill Integration Network to host an event celebrating the rich tapestry of Glasgow’s ethnic diversity. 

11

Live performances

770

Audiences

60

Attendees at our live celebration event

1

Scottish premiere

“A zeitgeist-capturing evocation of hope.”

★★★★

The Herald

Between Us (Acoustic)

Stuart Ramage’s original song ‘Between Us’, inspired by Wonder Fools’ production of ‘Lampedusa’ by Anders Lustgarten.

CELEBRATORY EVENT

We held a celebratory event on 17th November 1pm – 4pm and included performances of Albanian singing, Indian stick dancing, spoken word, Bollywood dancing, Persian / Flamenco dancing, and composer of Lampedusa, Stuart Ramage, singing songs.

“An evening worth remembering” – ★★★★ The Scotsman

“Powerful” – ★★★★★ Reviews Hub

“A zeitgeist-capturing evocation of hope” – ★★★★ The Herald

“An intense experience” – ★★★★ The Times

★★★★ – The Daily Record

★★★★ – The List

“Just been to see this with my wife. We both left with tears in our eyes and hope in our hearts, with a sprinkling of despair. Powerful story telling & performance, touching on the important issues of our time. Go see it if you get the chance!” – Zara Kitson (Audience Member)

“#Lampedusa is not to be missed. Important & devastating critique of our times. Congrats to Jack Nurse & his talented cast & crew.” – Judith Kilvington (Executive Director of Citizens)

“Beautifully told, tender story. The sort of theatre that changes minds and hearts. See it if you can. One of the most politically significant pieces I’ve seen all year. #Lampedusa” – Dylan (Audience Member)

“What a captivating and poignant performance of #Lampedusa tonight at the Citz. Congrats to Wonder Fools on another inspiring play.” – Sarah Michelle Kelly (Audience Member)

    Writer 
    Anders Lustgarten

    Director
    Jack Nurse

    Designer
    Alisa Kalyanova

    Lighting Designer
    Benny Goodman

    Assistant Director
    Tess Monro

    Cast
    Louise Mai Newberry and Andy Clark

    Casting Director
    Laura Donnelly

    Producer
    Steph Connell

    Associate Director
    Robbie Gordon

    Creative Scotland, Citizens Theatre & Dewar Arts Awards