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
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