Mwanawashe is a salad boy: neither Western or African, he is a young Zimbabwean educated in Glasgow, conflicted between his love for the West and the traditional values and expectations of this heritage.
Mwana is a coming-of-age story which explores family, race, tradition and secrets using spoken word, film and sound design.
If you are interested in seeing Mwana call the Tron box office on 0141 552 4267 or alternatively engage with the show via the Tron Participations Visiting Companies Glow area. We have uploaded some resources created by Ankur.
The show runs from Tuesday 14th-16th Feb. Further information can be obtained from the Tron website on www.tron.co.uk
Directed by: Lisa Gregan
Presented by: Tron Young Company
Thursday 26th – Saturday 28th May
Tron Young Company celebrated its first anniversary in style! In January of this year a recruitment workshop was held, which attracted young performers from throughout central Scotland. This influx of fresh talent reinvigorated the Young Company, adding new energy and dynamism to this already formidable ensemble. Meeting only once a week for a 2 hour rehearsal the Young Company began their devising journey.
Being part of Mayfesto has produced a real determination and desire, within the group, to create and perform an engaging, relevant piece of theatre. With such rich foundations as the work of Edwin Morgan and the city of Glasgow as inspiration, the creation of ‘From a City Balcony’ has been a rewarding and revealing process for all involved.
Director Lisa Gregan said “drawing a giant map of Glasgow on the rehearsal room floor was the first thing we did together. It was geographically inaccurate, the Kelvingrove Gallery cooried into Central Station and Glasgow Green threatened to engulf all other places of significance but we realised that this City connected us to Edwin Morgan, it is what we had in common. Morgan writes about the good and the bad of Glasgow and those who inhabit it, but the words always feel underpinned with a fondness we all understand. So ‘From a City Balcony‘ is our love letter to Glasgow.”
Tron Young Company used Edwin Morgan poems in their entirety as well as extracts, sometimes merely a line or two and then sometimes their own words felt like just enough. This was an engaging and thought provoking piece of theatre.
Directed by Gill Robertson
Presented by Catherine Wheels
Thursday the 28th – Saturday 30th April 10.30am, 1.30pm and 7.45pm at the Tron Theatre
Beauty and the beast will never get on.
He licks his hands, stands on the toilet and runs through the woods.
She carries a hankie, never gets mud on her shoes and always remembers to send a thank-you note.
So how come, when she sees him run like that,
when he brings down a deer, when they sit at night just watching the stars, how come her heart starts to spin?
Beauty and the Beast will never get on. Will they?
Caged is a story about two people trapped together and finding more freedom than they ever imagined.
Caged looks at the themes of:
Changing ideas of ‘beauty’ – in history, art, fashion, your local area or in the media
Persecution and isolation – finding real life links to the Beast character in society today, people in the past or in other works of fiction.
Changing tales – focusing on the original French tale and the different adaptations throughout the years. Helping pupils to consider what each new voice was trying to tell us and gaining a more rounded picture of the issues that arise.
True love and heartbreak – some of our most powerful stories from the classics to modern day soap operas have sparked into life because of love or loss. What different things have people or characters been willing to risk just to get what they desire?
Caged will develop self awareness by encouraging pupils to explore relationships and to consider how they relate to others. It will also help to develop more informed, ethical views of complex issues and see the importance of respecting other people’s needs and beliefs. It is suitable for everyone aged 8 years and above.
Within the Curriculum for Excellence, Caged will link to key area of – Literacy, Health and Wellbeing and Skills for life. And it also has secondary school subject links to Drama, English, PSE, History, Modern Studies, Art and RME
For more information please contact Lisa Keenan, Education and Outreach Manager on 0141 559 5318 or email lisa.keenan@tron.co.uk
Tickets avaiable from the Tron Box Office on 0141 552 4267
By Bertolt Brecht
Directed by Morven Gregor
Presented by Birds of Paradise in Association with Paisley Arts Centre
From Wednesday 30th March – Saturday 2nd April 7.45pm at the Tron Theatre
‘Trouble with peace is, it’s got no system to it. No methodology. What’s the point of your arguments if they’re lying
Alison Peebles (Mother Courage). Photo by Eamonn McGoldrick
around not doing any good? I’ve been in places they hadn’t had a decent war for seventy years. Seventy years. You’ll never guess.
People didn’t have IDs. They weren’t even on a national filing system!’
Mother Courage is one of the twentieth century’s classic plays. Although it is clearly political, it also reverberates with humour and humanity. The character Mother Courage is one of the great modern female roles, a woman defined by and surviving through constant conflict.
Performed by an inclusive cast, Mother Courage will feature sign language and projected text. Birds of Paradise’s Mother Courage will be a contemporary, visually engaging, humorous and sympathetic production which will leave audiences considering the central character’s every word and deed.
Birds of Paradise have a strong track record of delivering outreach activities alongside their national touring productions. Pupils will enjoy seeing a production, which as well as being a classic, also reflects the world around them today. Workshops will introduce them to some Brechtian techniques and examine the methods for creating performances around topical issues.
This production also provides students with the opportunity to explore a disabled character (Kattrin) in an established text. On one hand the play seems to portray the disabled Kattrin as a victim, helpless without her mother’s protection, but beyond that we see a young woman, marginalised by others, but able to act with volition and determination; the instigator of the final tragic action of the play. Casting a disabled performer in this role will embody these questions, allowing students to find their own answers.
Workshops available for Standard Grade, Higher and Advanced Higher.
All performances are subtitles and audio description support will be provided.
For further information or to book workshops please contact Emma Macleod on 0141 339 1155 or email all@birdsofparadisetheatre.co.uk
Tickets (£7-£15) available from the Tron Box Office on 0141 552 4267
By Gegory Burke
Directed By Michael Emans
Tuesday 22nd – Saturday 26th March at the Tron Theatre
Gagarin Way was the breakthrough play from the writer of the acclaimed Black Watch and has been produced all over the world. A pair of Fife factory workers kidnap their visiting boss to make a point … but what exactly is their point? And do they all have the same agenda?
Rapture Theatre will offer a full pre-show workshop (running approx 2 hours) followed by tickets to the evening performance of Gagarin Way at the Tron.
Written in strong Scottish dialect with a fast-paced, filmic storyline, Gagarin Way is a funny, exciting way of engaging older students (aged 14+) in political and ethical themes. The show resonates clearly with current news stories and debates, particularly those of ethics in big business, globalisation, corporate responsibility and unemployment. By putting these major global issues in a local, recognisable context the show will provide a perfect catalyst for discussions covering many aspects of the Cirriculum for Excellence, especially ‘developing knowledge and understanding of the world and Scotland’s place in it’ and ‘applying critical thinking in new context’.
The workshop will be lead by Rapture Theatre Artistic Director Michel Emans and will be suitable for ages 14+.
For further information on Gagarin Way or to book workshops please contact Ruth Marsh on 07824 468 396 or email ruth_marsh@yahoo.co.uk
Tickets (£7-£9) are available from the Tron Box Office on 0141 552 4267
Tuesday 15th – Saturday 26th March at the Tron Theatre
Type damn you. Type! It’s the only way to liberty!
1885 – a time of great passions, great confusion. Virtue is barely holding down it’s petticoats. Determined to make women rich ex militant suffragette Mary Barfoot and her devoted protege and lover Rhonda enlist female students to master the new invention that will gain them freedom – the typewriter. Three spinster sisters are invited into the school to rescue them from poverty, setting in motion an odyssey of alcoholism, cross dressing and sexual revolution.
Lyceum drama artist Christine O’Carroll will be leading workshops exploring the issues in the play: gender politics, patriarchy, relationships, historical context and contemporary relevance.
Workshops are free to groups making a booking for the performance. Please Note: Production is suitable for S6 only.
For more information please contact Lisa Keenan, Education and Outreach Manager, on 0141 559 5318 or email lisa.keenan@tron.co.uk
Tickets priced £7 -£15 are available from The Tron Box Office on 0141 552 4267
