In the days after the EU referendum, the National Theatre began a nationwide listening project. A team of interviewers spoke to people around the country – from Leicester to Derry/Londonderry and Merthyr Tydfil to Glasgow – to hear their views of the country and towns they live in, their lives, their future, and the referendum.
Using exact words taken from the interviews, My Country; a work in progress puts those conversations centre stage. Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre, collaborates with Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate, to create this new production which opens at the National Theatre’s Dorfman Theatre in London before playing at thirteen venues across the country and one international venue.
Cast for My Country; a Work in Progress includes: Seema Bowri, Cavan Clarke, Adam Ewan, Laura Elphinstone, Penny Layden, Stuart McQuarrie and Christian Patterson.
Director of the National Theatre Rufus Norris said: ‘One of my ambitions for the National Theatre is to make it truly national and through collaboration, embrace the creativity and opinion around the UK. The Brexit vote unleashed a host of questions about our country, way beyond the issue of Britain's role in Europe. It articulated a deep disaffection. Those elements provoked a need and opportunity to create a piece of theatre that responds to that palpable sense of frustration and disillusionment. Art has always responded to what is happening now and it's what I hope we achieve with My Country.’
Following its run at the National Theatre, My Country; a work in progress will tour to the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Derry Playhouse, Liverpool Playhouse, Home, Manchester, Leicester Curve, the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Strike a Light Festival, Gloucester, the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Birmingham Rep, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Theatre Clwyd, the Rozabaal in Amsterdam as part of the Holland Festival, Cambridge Arts Theatre and the Theatre Royal, Stratford East in London.
Join Pádraig Cusack and Rufus Norris as they discuss My Country; a Work in Progress on Tuesday 14 March at 6.30pm in the Dorfman Theatre. Book here.
The production is created in collaboration with eight UK arts organisations in association with Cusack Projects Limited.
Join the conversation at: @NationalTheatre's #MyCountry
The National Theatre is dedicated to making the very best theatre and sharing it with as many people as possible. We produce productions on the South Bank in London each year, ranging from re-imagined classics to modern masterpieces and new work by contemporary writers and theatre-makers. The National’s work is seen on tour throughout the UK, in London’s West End, internationally (including on Broadway) and in collaborations and co-productions with theatres across the country.
Across 2015-2016, the NT staged 34 productions and gave 3,134 performances in the UK and internationally. The NT’s award-winning programme had a UK audience of 2.5 million, 700,000 of which were NT Live audiences.
The Clore Learning Centre at the NT is committed to providing programmes for schools, young people, families, community groups and adult learners, including the nationwide youth theatre festival Connections and playwriting competition New Views. In 2015-2016, we engaged with over 181,000 participants through the NT Learning events programme. Further, over 2,200 secondary schools have signed up to the free streaming service, On Demand. In Schools since its launch in September 2015.
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