PAL: Your AI Care Companion

WRITTEN BY Sara Shaarawi

PERFORMED BY Citizens Theatre Young Co.

Delivered by Young Start | The National Lottery Community Fund

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Sara Shaarawi has created in PAL: Your AI Care Companion, a voice for this generation, a generation who have been through tough times, whose future has directly been affected by a pandemic, Brexit, disruption to their education, climate change, war in Ukraine, political upheaval, an energy and cost of living crisis, and an underfunded health service struggling to survive. Not to mention the incredible pace of the development of Artificial Intelligence and its impact, be that positive or negative. This sounds grim and you can’t avoid the pertinence of this piece, however, I’m certain the dark humour, rich characters and total commitment of this talented cast of young people will inspire you. I’m very proud of the Young Co. - all it has achieved and the journeys of participants past and present. We all look forward to the next adventure when we return to the Citizens Theatre in 2024.

Neil Packham

WRITERS NOTE

I’ve really loved getting to know the members of the Young Co. both individually and as a group, they have a really great energy and spark. I just really enjoy the space they’ve created for themselves, and the generosity they brought to the room, as well as the curiosity they brought when we chatted about the themes of the play and about what kind of theatre and art we enjoy. PAL: Your AI Care Companion is a piece about young people trying to negotiate a harsher version of the world that exists now, where care (in all its forms) is a commodity, it’s funny and dark and maybe a bit unsettling, but it also has a lot of heart. I can’t wait for everyone to see it and maybe have a chat about it afterwards.

Sara Shaarawi Writer sarashaarawi.com

CAST

Gabriel Adams – Friend. Sabryna Brooke – Doc, Jack Donnan – PAL, Morgan Ferguson – Nikki, Janey Fulton – Cait, Nagad Hassan – Head Injury, Michael Harkin – Liam, Helena Main – PAL, Jenny Mckay – Friend, Jareen Meah – Arm Sling, Aidan Ali Polat – Friend, Lewis Reid – Doc’s Producer, Brianne Surgeoner – PAL.

CREATIVE TEAM

Sara Shaarawi – Writer, Neil Packham – Director, Ailsa J Munro – Set & Costume Designer, Stuart Jenkins – Lighting Designer, Rikki Traynor – Sound Designer, Rob Willoughby – AV & Sound Supervisor, Roxana Haines – Assistant Director and Visiting Community Practitioner (supported by Scottish Opera), Eleanor Felton – Assistant Director (Birkbeck Trainee)

CITIZENS COMPANY LIST

Anna Athanasiadi Lighting Programmer, Esther Batterham Marketing & Communications Officer, Catherine Bird Payroll Officer, Alex Brady Box Office Supervisor / IT, Suzanne Brady Box Office / Drama Leader, Katrina Caldwell Drama Leader, Peter Clerke Drama Leader, Natalia Cortes Company Stage Manager, Elaine G Coyle Head of Wardrobe, Denise Differ Box Office Manager, Louise Dingwall Press & Marketing Officer, Karen Dunbar Creative Learning Tutor, Lisa Dundas Box Office, Catrin Evans Head of Creative Learning, Eleanor Felton Assistant Director, (Birkbeck Trainee), Barry Forde Assistant Stage Manager, Elly Goodman Community Drama Artist, Nichol Gray Development Manager, Roxana Haines Assistant Director and, Visiting Community Practitioner, (supported by Scottish Opera), David Harrop Technician, Stephen Harrop Carpenter, Dominic Hill Artistic Director, Euan Jenkins Stage Door Administrator, Stuart Jenkins Head of Lighting & Sound, Linsey Johnstone Deputy Stage Manager, Amber Keating Digital Officer, Jenny Knotts Box Office, Sanjay Lago Drama Assistant, Carol Laula Creative Learning Tutor, Alison Lewis Marketing & Communications Manager, Zephyr Liddell Creative Learning Tutor, Fereuse Macdonald Development Administration, & Data Officer, Alison MacKinnon Head of Marketing & Communications, Carly McCaig Community Drama Worker, Morna McGeoch Drama Leader, Alex McGowan Executive Director, Lawrie McInally Stage Door Administrator, Linda McLaughlin Creative Learning Tutor/, Playwright in Residence, Claire McNeil Finance Manager, Jon Meggat Lighting & Sound Technician, Rachel Mimiec Creative Learning Tutor, Jacqueline Muir Production Administrator, Jack Mullen Box Office, Ailsa Munro Creative Learning Tutor, Denis Murphy Head of Workshop, Allan Othieno Drama Assistant, Neil Packham Community Drama Director, Frances Poet Literary Associate, Gail Power Creative Learning Tutor, Mairi Rosko-Mathisen Director of Development, Dylan Ross Scenic Artist, Molly Ross Individual Giving & Events Officer, Claire Sharp Wardrobe Assistant, Saffron Shearer Wardrobe Assistant / Dresser, Katy Smillie Wardrobe Assistant, Mags Smillie Head of Finance, Laura Smith Deputy Head of Production, Cole Stewart Creative Learning Tutor, Graham Sutherland Head of Production, Martin Travers Producer (Citizens Learning)and David Young Facilities Supervisor.

Board

April Chamberlain (Chair), Alex Reedijk (Vice Chair), Councillor Susan Aitken, Gemma Bodinetz, Laurence Fraser, Dominic Hill, Jackie Kay, John McElwee, Irene Tweedie and Louise Welsh.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

With special thanks to the Young Co. members who assisted during the early development of the play: Lomond Docherty, Selin Güler, Robbie McKerracher, Aqsa Anwar, Tara Harcombe.

SUPPORTING CITIZENS

Participation Project Funders

Our participation and community engagement programmes are made possible by: CMS Charitable Trust, Glasgow Buildings Preservation Trust, Glasgow City Health & Social Care Partnership, Glasgow Community Health & Wellbeing Fund, Life Changes Trust, Scottish Government, Sylvia Aitken Charitable Trust, The Stafford Trust, The William Syson Foundation

Redevelopment Project Funders

The redevelopment of the Citizens Theatre building is made possible by: The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Glasgow City Council, Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Aurelius Charitable Trust, Backstage Trust, Barcapel Foundation, Bellahouston Bequest Fund, Citizens Theatre Society, Cruden Foundation, Equity Charitable Trust, Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Glasgow Dean of Guild Court Trust, Helen A Reid’s Charitable Trust, Henry Moore Foundation, Hugh Fraser Foundation, James C Hardie Charitable Trust, James T Howat Charitable Trust, James Wood Bequest Fund, Kuenssberg Charitable Foundation, Miss E C Hendry Charitable Trust, Mr and Mrs William Donald’s Memorial Trust, Robert Barr’s Charitable Trust, Rock Lodge Charitable Trust, Sylvia Aitken Charitable Trust, The AMW Charitable Trust, The Batchworth Trust, The Bill & Margaret Nicol Charitable Trust, The Dunclay Charitable Trust, The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, The J P Jacobs Charitable Trust, The Mary Andrew Charitable Trust, The McGlashan Charitable Trust, The Meikle Foundation, The Merchants House of Glasgow, The Murdoch Forrest Charitable Trust, The Robertson Trust, The Trades House of Glasgow Commonweal Fund, The Wolfson Foundation, Theatres Trust and W A Cargill Fund.

Corporate Citizens

Kube Networks

Best Friends

Amish Amin, David Armstrong, Susan Bell, John Bremner, Rosemary Bremner, Kevin Roderick Brown, April Chamberlain, Sean Daisley, Julie Doughty &, Paul Trafford, John Ferris, Claire Fleming, Mary Henderson, Gilbert Hyde, Gordon Jeyes, John & Agnese Keeper, Joe Kelly, Chris Kenny, Roddy & Christine Macpherson, John McElwee, Miriam McKenna, Ian McSeveny, Chris Paterson, Rita Rae, Walter & Janet Reid, Adrienne Scullion, Nancy Smillie, Sheila Stallard, Larry Sullivan and Louise Welsh.

Additional thanks to the many individuals that have also given donations throughout the year, and those who would prefer their support to remain anonymous. For more information on how to support the Citz, contact the Development Department development@citz.co.uk

Citizens Theatre warmly acknowledges support from our core funders Creative Scotland and Glasgow City Council.