One story, two plays - through White and Brown British eyes
Hurling Ruibble At The Sun
Image by Park Theatre
A double-bill of plays (13 May – 6 June) deliver the human story behind contemporary British extremism, from Blackburn-born writer Avaes Mohammad.
Opening in the aftermath of the ‘election of a generation,’ these two connecting stories tell of an anger and resentment in working class Britain that won’t be quelled by posturing politicians. Set in Blackburn, in the initial years from September 11 2001, these two plays tell two halves of the same story of frustration and radicalisation, Hurling Rubble At The Sun seen through the eyes of the British Asian community, Hurling Rubble At The Moon from those of the white working class.
Hurling Rubble At The Sun, directed by Red Ladder Artistic Director Rod Dixon, tells the story of T, previously secure in his northern British Asian community, but driven to action by the growing violence that he and his mates increasingly encounter in the years following 2001. In attempting to rebuild a new landscape the only voices available come from a battered tape of Tupac and the discourse of Islamism ringing from mouths of newly-founded street prophets. His parents are stuck in a tradition that has nothing to offer him, and they don’t understand that the hatred they experience on a day to day basis has changed – ‘terrorist’ is a much more incendiary word than ‘paki’ – and that a new type of hatred requires a new kind of response.
Hurling Rubble At The Moon directed by Park Theatre Artistic Director Jez Bond, is set in the same place, but follows the story of Skef and his dad, Dean, one-time football hooligan who comes back into Skef’s life out of the blue after abandoning him as a kid. After being sacked from his job by an Asian manager, Skef starts to hang around with his childhood sweetheart Gerbil and also to join his dad down the pub, and on his marches. All Skef wants is an England in which he feels treated fairly, and feels some ownership in but when Skef finds out that Gerbil is seeing T, it all feels like it’s about to blow up in his face. This threat is new, and it needs a new kind of response.
The cast of Hurling Rubble is Mark Cameron (Dean) who is a Park Theatre Associate Artist and co-writer of its Christmas shows Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel, Nicola Duffett (Mary) who is best known for her role as Debbie Bates in EastEnders , Jim English (Skef), Dinita Gohil (Major), Bharti Patel (Mrs Malik), Paige Round (Gerbil) and Ragevan Vasan (T).
Avaes Mohammad’s plays include Bhopal, In God We Trust, The Student, Shadow Companion, Crystal Kisses, Fields of Grey, Of Another World. He is currently Associate Artist with Red Ladder Theatre Company, Tamasha Theatre Company and Fellow of the Muslim Institute. He also recently founded the Lahore Agitprop Theatre Company in Pakistan.
To complement the production, Red Ladder Theatre Company will be hosting a specialised outreach project to introduce young people to the Hurling Rubble plays. This will involve workshops for schools, colleges and universities taking the form of a three hour Open Space discussion; a facilitated conversation which is a safe space for young people to air their views on global issues. Targeting young people of all ethnic backgrounds, the central aim of the workshops is to encourage integration by providing an opportunity to raise questions, share opinions and listen to others. The ultimate goal of the project is to educate young people about the difficult subject of radicalisation and extremism through different perceptions and increased awareness.
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Listings info:
Dates Previews: 14 May 2015 Press Night: 15 May 2015 (7pm) Plays until: 6 Jun 2015
Performances Hurling Rubble at the Sun
Tue – Sat Evenings 19.00 Thu & Sat Matinees 14.00
Hurling Rubble at the Moon
Tue – Sat Evenings 21.00 Thu & Sat Matinees 16.00
Running Times Both plays are approximately 90 mins
Age Restriction 15yrs+ – contains scenes of physical and sexual violence
Prices £15 Previews £25, £20 Full £18 Concessions £15 Tuesdays – Residents with N. London postcode or Under 25s (Proof required, limited availability)
Half Price Discount Book tickets for the companion piece Hurling Rubble at the Moon in the same transaction and get them at half price
Pay What You Can The second Tuesday and any matinee. Bookable from one hour before the performance, in person at the box office. One ticket per person. Subject to availabilty.
Park Theatre 14 May – 6 June 2015 Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3JP, 7pm Box office: 020 7870 6876
020 7870 6876
