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I first planted the seed of Glasgow Girls as a show back in 2010 after seeing how the success of RoadKill had prompted audience members to take direct action.

I wanted to use another ‘real-life’ story to reach out to people and let people know what was going on in their midst.

Clare Tudor and Belinda McElhinney at the Scottish Refugee Council agreed it would be a great story to dramatise and directed me towards Lindsay Hill’s documentary on the girls’ story Tales from the Edge. It was after watching this, I came to the rather surprising but exciting conclusion that this story should be told as a musical, such was the life force emanating from the girls, and the myriad cultures they came from. The next step was to meet with all seven of the Glasgow Girls and their teachers from the time.

Over a period of 2 years, I began slowly developing the show, experimenting with the various songwriters and working closely with Hilary Brooks (Musical Director & Arranger) and David Greig, who came on board to write the play.

We always wanted to treat people’s real lives with the utmost care and respect.

We invited the girls and all those involved to our development stages, building their trust and friendship over a long period.

It was an incredibly emotional journey for us all, as they revisited these events from that period of their lives and watched them being replayed. We are incredibly grateful for their support and involvement.

At the time of writing this, Roza is in her fourth year at Strathclyde University studying Law and Politics; Emma works for BBC Radio Scotland and is a volunteer presenter on Sunny Govan FM Radio; Jennifer is a nursery practitioner and a sergeant instructor in the Army Cadet Force; Agnesa works for the NHS and has possibly won an award for services to partying and a damn fine wardrobe; Ewelina married her childhood sweetheart and has a beautiful baby girl and another on the way; Amal has graduated in Community Development and is working to help survivors of psychological trauma; Toni Lee is a support worker for adults with learning difficulties. Wilson has retired, Euan still works at Drumchapel High School and Noreen and Jean still live in the Kingsway flats. They continue to campaign for the rights of asylum seekers in the UK.

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S E ILI FAM STEM Y S A Writing Glasgow Girls has been a journey of discovery for me. Before the Director, Cora Bissett, asked me to work on this project, I knew very little about the process that faced people coming into the UK seeking safety. I suppose I had images of young men hidden in trucks. Talking with Lindsay Hill, director of the BBC documentary Tales from the Edge, Clare Tudor of the Scottish Refugee Council, and the Glasgow Girls themselves, I learned a little about how the system works. Or, rather, how it doesn’t work.

What became clear to me as we talked was that the asylum system works on a ‘one size fits all’ basis. Countries are declared ‘safe’ in a blanket way, but the system is bad at hearing people’s individual stories; the way that someone can be in specific danger because they’re a woman, a minority, or gay, or just because they’re from one family and not another. The system’s also not so good at understanding what it feels like to flee from a village in a rural part of Congo, or Kosovo or Afghanistan. The lack of time to gather documents, to think about what evidence might prove the danger you’re in, the panic, the way you just grab your clothes and run.

It must be difficult enough to flee from a war zone with one’s family, but I had no idea that once here it was so difficult for a family to change their status from temporary and uncertain ‘asylum seekers’, always in fear of being sent back, into ‘refugees’, safe and accepted by society and state.

In order to tell this story we’ve made some shortcuts of storytelling. For example, we have Noreen to tell us about the dawn raids but we don’t portray all the multitude of other people who were involved in protecting asylum seekers at the Kingsway flats in Glasgow.

Similarly, in Act 2 we have invented a family, The Chirugos, to stand in for a large number of families who were being threatened with removal at that time.

The story of Olly Chirugo is invented but everything that happens to him has happened to real children caught up in the system.

There has to be a system, there have to be rules, but people and their stories are unique. Empathy is not in the nature of a system. Systems grind people up, flattening out differences, deaf to the details. Glasgow Girls is only a theatre show, it’s not a judicial report or investigation. We can’t offer proposals or solutions. But the Glasgow Girls campaign does show that by the simple principle of thinking how it feels to be in another person’s shoes, extraordinary things can be achieved. The Glasgow Girls teach us, when faced with a system, apply empathy, add determination and then perhaps change really is possible.

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t s Ca CALLUM CUTHBERTSON Mr Girvan

Previous work with the National Theatre of Scotland includes Futurology, Mary Stuart and Home: Dumfries.

Callum has worked extensively in Scotland for theatre companies including Traverse, Tron, Citizens, Royal Lyceum, Dundee Rep, 7:84, The Arches, Òran Mór, TAG, & Suspect Culture. Television work includes Gary: Tank Commander, Dear Green Place, Empty, How Not to Live Your Life, Still Game, Legit, Jess the Border Collie, Intergalactic Kitchen and Rockface.

Callum is also lead singer/ songwriter with Glasgow band Plywood, whose debut album is released this year.

AMIERA DARWISH Roza

Amiera trained in acting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating in 2012.

Theatre credits include The Track of the Cat (BearPlate), One Night in Iran (Òran Mór) and The Prince – The Johnny Thomson Story (Alyson Orr Ltd). Television work includes Scots Squad, Casualty and Waterloo Road. Film work includes the feature, The Pursuit, short films include Kiss, Cuddle and Torture, The Day I Met Miss Rodgers, Meal Deal and Strange Places (Bafta Scotland New Talent Award – nomination).

ROANNA DAVIDSON Agnesa

Roanna trained with the National Youth Theatre and East 15 Acting School.

Theatre credits include The Folk Contraption (Rogues Gallery), My Dream Hackney Home, Hollywood, The Arden Project, Tell us about Tom (Time Warner/Old Vic New Voices), Medusa, The Battle of Babylondon (Theatre Lab), Romani Tober, Citizens (The Romany Theatre Company), The 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic), Ravens (Sabotage) and A Clearing (Forest Forge).

Radio work includes Atching Tan.

MYRA MCFADYEN Noreen

Myra trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, University of Glasgow and L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. National Theatre of Scotland appearances include Macbeth, Roman Bridge, The Missing, The House of Bernarda Alba, Home: Caithness and Elizabeth Gordon Quinn.

Other recent theatre credits include The Cherry Orchard, As You Like It (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh), Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward, London), Tartuffe (Royal Exchange), Happy Days (Tramway), Interiors (Vanishing Point), Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off, The Cone Gatherers (Communicado), Anything for a Quiet Life (Théâtre de Complicité/ Almeida), The Guid Sisters (Tron/ Toronto Festival), Inês de Castro, Bondagers (Traverse), Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Square Rounds, Macbeth, Out of a House Walked a Man (National, London), The Mysteries, Everyman and The Winter’s Tale (RSC). Film work includes Mamma Mia!, Made of Honor and Rob Roy. Television work

includes Put on by Cunning, Kavanagh QC, Inspector Rebus – Dead Souls, Mr Charity, Jonathan Creek, Teachers, Monarch of the Glen, Rose and Maloney, Wedding Belles, The Killing Time, The Steamie and numerous BBC radio plays.

STEPHANIE MCGREGOR Ewelina

Stephanie trained at the Scottish Contemporary Dance School and Rose Bruford College, London. Credits while training include The Good Person of Schezwan, King Lear, Richard III, The Rose Tattoo and The Love of the Nightingale. Theatre credits include Snow White (Byre), Romeo and Juliet (Bard in the Botanics), The Fumidor (Pants on Fire) and The White Devil (Globe/ Sam Wanamaker).

Joanne McGuinness Emma

Joanne studied at the Glasgow Academy of Musical Theatre and graduated in 2009. Theatre credits include Belle in Disneyland Paris, Cinderella (Ayr), Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Tron Theatre ,Glasgow) and Company (Scottish Revival at Cottiers Theatre, Glasgow). Joanne has also played lead role in a BAFTA new talent winning short, Zombie Musical, and appears in Carnaby Films’ The Wee Man.

AMAKA OKAFOR Amal

Amaka previously appeared with the National Theatre of Scotland in the 2008 production of The Bacchae.

Recent theatre includes The Snow Queen (Trestle/ Indian tour), The Tempest, The Three Musketeers, The Garbage King, Cinderella, The London Eye Mystery (Unicorn), Dr Korczak’s Example (Royal Exchange/ Arcola), Sabbat (Dukes, Lancaster), Flathampton (Northampton Royal and Derngate), Tracy Beaker Gets Real (Nottingham Playhouse and national tour) The 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic) and, Stamping, Shouting and Singing Home (Polka). Work for television includes The Bill and Doctors. Radio work includes three months with the BBC Radio Drama Rep Company in 2012.

PATRICIA PANTHER Various characters/ Composer

Patricia is a producer, singer and songwriter based in Glasgow. She has been selected as Tim Robinson’s BBC 6 Music Artist of the Week, Vic Galloway’s Radio 1 Artist of the Week and Artist of the Month at King Tut’s in Glasgow where she was also invited to perform at their New Year Revolution.

Other musical performance achievements include T in the Park Slam Tent, for Hari and Domenic (Sub Club), LadyFest 2010 Anniversary, the 2011 Burnsong project culminating in a showcase at the Scottish Parliament plus various performances at venues including The Arches, SubClub, King Tut’s and the Fruit Market where she composed original pieces for live orchestration for the Brew House Orchestra.

Theatre includes Detainee A (Ankur).

Television includes Hedz and Me Too.

DAWN SIEVEWRIGHT Jennifer

Dawn trained at the Dance School of Scotland and Guildford School of Acting.

Theatre credits include Legally Blonde (Savoy, West End), Quadrophenia (UK tour) Cinderella (The Scoop) and Letters from Everyone (Youth Action Theatre). Television work includes John Barrowman’s Tonight’s the Night and Britannia High.

s n a i c i s u s e M v i t a e r &c SANDRO CIANCIO

RICK STANDLEY

Sandro has performed with various singers and bands including Gloria Gaynor, Carole Kidd, Mike Stern, the Brecker Brothers, Hue and Cry, Ewan Vernal, Tommy Smith, Nigel Hitchcock, Kenny Wheeler, Runrig, Nigel Clark, Brian Kellock, Graeme Duffin at various venues including Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and The Jazz Café, London, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, the Royal Concert Hall and the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow, and various TV shows for BBC, ITV, Irish television and many, many more.

Rick studied at the Royal Academy of Music from 1978 – 1982. After summer season for Max Jaffa in Scarborough, he joined the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Manchester in 1982 leaving in 1989 to become Principal Double Bass in the Scottish Ballet Orchestra, a post he has held now for 23 years. He has worked on many theatre shows, most notably the national tours of West Side Story, Miss Saigon, Barnum, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and many more. Rick has also had a career as a jazz and big band player and played several weeks on trial with the BBC Radio Big Band in 1986.

He is a founder member of Mr McFall’s Chamber. Other recent work includes performances with the Rednote Ensemble.

Drummer/ percussionist

EWAN MACPHERSON Musician

Ewan trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. He has performed and recorded with many varied performers around the world, predominantly on the roots music scene, including Shooglenifty, The Treacherous Orchestra, Seamus Egan (Solas), Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller, April Verch, John Spiers (Bellowhead), The Battlefi eld Band, Dàimh, Emily Smith, Maeve Mackinnon, Bùrach, Lori Watson, Fine Friday and Claire Mann.

Recording credits include Griais (Gillie Mackenzie), The Ha’ O’ Habrahellia, HAPP (Fribo), Some Kind of Certainty (Ewan Robertson), Eclection (Gabe McVarish), Unseen Hours (Malinky), Talk of the Future (Croft No 5), An Clàr Geal (Alasdair White), Next Market Day (Chloe Matharu) and The Complete Songs of Robert Burns (Linn Records).

Television work includes various shows for BBC Alba, including Ho Ro Geallaidh and Na Trads.

Bass

To a Mouse by kind permission of Alan Reid

CORA BISSETT

DAVID GREIG

Cora is an actor, director and the Artistic Director of Pachamama Productions. She trained at the Royal Academy of Music and Drama. Cora conceived and directed Roadkill (for Pachamama/ Ankur Productions – Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, 2012, as well as nine other awards including an Amnesty International Award for Freedom of Speech). Other directing work includes Whatever Gets You Through the Night and From The West Bank (Tron/ Mayfesto). She received The Arches Award for New Directors in 2008, which allowed her to devise her debut production, Amada.

David is a playwright, screenwriter and director.

His work for the National Theatre of Scotland includes One Day in Spring, Dunsinane, Peter Pan, The Bacchae and Gobbo. Other recent theatre work includes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Yellow Moon, The Monster in the Hall, The American Pilot, Midsummer, Miniskirts of Kabul, Damascus, Pyrenees, San Diego, Outlying Islands and The Cosmonaut’s Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union.

Director & Composer

Cora has worked as an actor for 14 years. She has collaborated with David Greig on many occasions, and had the great joy to be part of the devising process as he created his smash hit rom-com Midsummer. They have toured the world with it, most recently enjoying an off Broadway run in January 2013. She first appeared at Theatre Royal Stratford East as a robot girl in Red Riding Hood in 2005! Other acting credits include The Wolves in the Walls (National Theatre of Scotland) A Comedy of Errors, Miseryguts, A Streetcar Named Desire (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh), Caledonia Road (Almeida), Slick (Vox Motus) I Licked a Slag’s Deodorant (Arches), Sub Rosa (Fire Exit /Citizens, Glasgow) and Midsummer (Traverse).

Film work includes Red Road, Pasty Faces, You Instead, Not Another Happy Ending and God Help the Girl.

Television credits include One Night in Emergency, Rab C Nesbitt, River City, High Times, Taggart, Casualty and Rebus.

Book

Work with Suspect Culture includes 8000m, Lament and Mainstream. Translations and adaptations include Tintin in Tibet and King Ubu. Radio plays include The American Pilot, An Ember in the Straw and Being Norwegian.

Screenplays and television work include M8 and Nightlife.

The Traverse Theatre’s 2002 production of Outlying Islands won a Scotsman Fringe First, Herald Angel and Best New Play at the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland. San Diego (Edinburgh International Festival/ Tron, Glasgow) won a Herald Angel and the award for Best New Play at the Tron Theatre Awards 2003.

David has also won the John Whiting award and a Creative Scotland award.

MUSICIANS & CREATIVES HILARY BROOKS

MERLE HENSEL

Hilary is a freelance musical director, composer and arranger. Recent credits include Musical Director and Keyboards for White Christmas – the Musical (Pitlochry), Musical Director and Arranger on Sweeney Todd (Dundee Rep – TMA Best Musical, Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland Best Music & Sound). Also for Dundee Rep, Hilary was Musical Director, Arranger and cast album producer for Sunshine on Leith (TMA Best Musical).

Merle was born in Germany. She trained as a theatre designer at Central St Martin’s School of Art and Design and the Slade School of Fine Art, London.

She previously worked with the National Theatre of Scotland on 27 and The Wheel. Theatre credits include Shun-Kin (Complicite/ Setagaya/ Barbican), James Son of James, The Bull, The Flowerbed (Fabulous Beast/ Barbican/ Dublin Theatre Festival), Political Mother (Hofesh Schechter Company/ Sadler’s Wells), Justita, Park (Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company/ Peacock, London), Parallel Elektra (Young Vic), The Girls of Slender Means (Stellar Quines), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Corn Exchange/ Dublin Theatre Festival), Der Diener Zweier Herren (Max-Reinhardt Seminar/ Schlosstheater, Vienna), Before the Wolf (Open Air Festivals Newcastle and Falkirk) plus various designs for theatre and opera in Germany.

Musical Director & Arranger

Other Musical Director credits include Cabaret, Gypsy (Dundee Rep), A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine (Borderline), Without a Trace (Sounds of Progress), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh), The Rink (Belgrade, Coventry), Cinderella (King’s, Glasgow) and Eight To The Bar, (Wildcat). Her compositions for theatre include James and the Giant Peach (Citizens, Glasgow), Nightflights (Dundee Rep), Memory of Water (Stellar Quines), Lucy and the Christmas Treasure (Borderline), The Broonie, a Musical for Youth (Italia Conti) and Beauty and the Beast (Byre). TV work includes titles, songs and incidental music for Salut Serge, FOT and Mr Wymi.

Film credits include the orchestral score for The Eastern Bride, and improvised solo piano scores for the silent movies Der Golem and Moulin Rouge (Glasgow Film Theatre).

NATASHA GILMORE Choreographer

Natasha trained at Trinity Laban and is the Artistic Director of dance theatre company Barrowland Ballet. Choreographic work and movement direction for theatre includes Roadkill (Ankur), Bright Black (Vox Motus), The Songbird (Giant), That Face (Tron), Peer Gynt (Awake Project), The Wasp Factory (Cumbernauld), A Conversation with Carmel, One up One Down, The Blank Album, Bunty and Doris and Madame Bazie (Barrowland Ballet).

Other choreography credits include Dancing Voices (Southbank Centre/ East London Dance), Ultra Violet (Luminate). Commissions include Get Set GlasGOw (Glasgow Life), Dancing (st)Age (Southbank / ELD), Shine (East London Dance), Modern Romance (Big Dance), In My Day (Glasgow Life), Thank You and Goodnight (Dancexchange), Generation XYZ (East London Dance) and On Your Marks (Inspiration Festival). She has also choreographed a number of music videos and adverts. Natasha has worked with organisations including Protein Dance Company, Dance House, Glasgow and Rose’s Thoughts.

Since 2006, she has been devising dance theatre pieces with the Maryhill Integration Network seeking to integrate refugee and asylum seeking communities with the host community in Glasgow. This work was featured in the BBC Alba series Dannsa. She also choreographs for her youth performance group that started this year.

Set & Costume Designer

Film credits include Morituri te Salutant and Baby.

Merle lectures at Central St Martin’s School of Art and Design and teaches at Rose Bruford College and Goldsmiths, London.

LIZZIE POWELL

Lighting Designer Lizzie trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Lizzie’s lighting designs for the National Theatre of Scotland include Enquirer, My Shrinking Life, Appointment with The Wicker Man, Knives In Hens, Girl X, Cockroach, Nasty, Brutish and Short, The Dogstone, Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us, Transform Glasgow: Smiler, Transform Orkney: Mixter Maxter, Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off, Our Teacher’s a Troll, Rupture, Venus as a Boy, The Recovery Position, Oedipus the King and HOME Edinburgh.

Other theatre work includes Krapp’s Last Tape, Footfalls (Citizens, Glasgow), Caged, Pobby and Dingan, The Book of Beasts (Catherine Wheels), While You Lie, Any Given Day, The Dark Things (Traverse), Spring Awakening, Huxley’s Lab (Grid Iron), Treasure Island (Wee Stories), Playback (Ankur), First Light (Starcatchers), First You’re Born (Plutôt la Vie), Under Milk Wood (Theatre Royal, Northampton), The Death of Harry, Making History (Ouroborous), The Wasp Factory (Cumbernauld), The Wall (Borderline), Second City Trilogy (Cork Opera House), Smallone, Romeo and Juliet, This Ebony Bird, Tricky (Blood in the Alley), Drenched (Boilerhouse) and The Night Shift (Fuel).

FERGUS O’HARE

SARAH MACDONALD

Fergus previously worked with the National Theatre of Scotland on Macbeth. Other credits include Romeo and Juliet (Corcadorca at Cork Opera House), A Chorus of Disapproval (Harold Pinter), Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Paralympic Games (Olympic Park, Stratford), Abigail’s Party (Wyndham’s/ Menier/ TRB), Henry V (Globe), Uncle Vanya (Minerva), Noises Off (Novello/ Old Vic), All New People (Duke of York’s), Reasons to be Pretty (Almeida), A Streetcar Named Desire (Liverpool Playhouse), The Entertainer, Inherit The Wind, Richard II, The Philadelphia Story, Aladdin, Cloaca, Hamlet, The Tempest (Old Vic), In a Forest Dark and Deep (Vaudeville), Tiger Country (Hampstead), Julius Caesar, King Lear, Volpone, Cordelia Dream, The Seagull (Royal Shakespeare Company), Death and the Maiden, Birdsong, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, September Tide, Fat Pig, Passion Play, On An Average Day (Comedy), Rain Man, Fool for Love and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Apollo). Fergus has worked extensively in theatre in London and across the UK and internationally for theatres including the Donmar Warehouse, the National Theatre, London, Royal Court, Young Vic, Almeida and many more.

Sarah studied Theatre and English Literature at the University of Glasgow and graduated in 2011. She is currently one of the Bank of Scotland Emerging Directors with the National Theatre of Scotland.

Sound Design

JOHN, GERRY & MARTIN KIELTY Composers

The Kielty brothers have written many musicals over the last five years including Sundowe (winner – Cameron Mackintosh’s Highland Quest 2008), Greyfriar’s Twisted Tales (winner – Spirit of the Fringe 2008), Mercy Madonna of Malawi (winner – Spirit of the Fringe, UNESCO Festival of Light, 2009), Wasted Love (winner Best Lyrics MTM Awards 2011), Dream Time Peter Pan (Brisbane Powerhouse), The Murder of Geoffrey Robbins (Òran Mór), Gideon and the Wooden Toppers (Arches Live!), Active Virgin (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and The 27 Club (Forever 27). John also recently wrote the score for The Cone Gatherers (His Majesty’s, Aberdeen) and was Musical Director on Why Do You Stand There in the Rain?

(Pepperdine University – Fringe First, 2012).

SUMATI BHARDWAJ (SOOM T)

Assistant Director

Previously, Sarah was Artistic Assistant for the New Works; New Worlds Festival at the Arches and Festival Director of STaG Nights Boom and Bust. Sarah has her own theatre company, Giddy Aunt, creating work for children and young people, including A Stone’s Throw at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She was recently awarded Ideas Tap funding for a collaborative project with Ankur Productions called The Gaelic Laboratory, mixing traditional Scottish dancing with languages, storytelling and music from a range of different cultures present in Scotland today. The project led to the creation of a unique multicultural ceilidh event that was performed recently at the Commonwealth Family Festival in Glasgow. Other directing work includes The Birthday Party (Viventi), King Matt (East Lothian Youth Theatre) and Cub (Imaginate Ideas Exchange/Tron).

Karen MacIver

Assistant Musical Director Karen works in theatre, film and dance as a music director, composer and arranger. Over the years, she has increasingly specialised in dance with companies including Birmingham Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet. As a composer Karen has had numerous commissions including The Promise (Random Accomplice) which was nominated for a Critics’ Award in New York in 2011. Her other commissions include A Head of Steam (Scottish Opera) which won the 2010 British Association of Songwriters, Composers and Authors Award.

Karen arranges and performs in her jazz trio with The Swingcats, touring UK and International venues with their retro three-part harmony. They have recently performed with The Glenn Miller Orchestra and Radio 2 Big Band Special. Karen featured on keyboards with Anton and Erin’s tour of Strictly Come Dancing.

Composer

Glasgow-born Indian Sumati Bhardwaj – Soom T – has released over 50 records since 1999 with artists including The Orb, T.Raumschmiere, King Creosote, Miss Kittin, The Bug, Mungo’s Hifi , Bus, Asian Dub Foundation and many others. Her current projects include frequent releases from her self-managed label Renegade Masters and various guest projects.

Currently touring her live set around the world, Soom T’s style incorporates Reggae, Hiphop and Folk to Experimental World and Dubstep. She is currently making preparations for a 13-date tour of France in March 2013 as part of the “Raggemuffin pack”.

songs For lisitings visit www.stratfordeast.com.

Download Soom T’s recording of We Are the Glasgow Girls

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Amal Azuddin, Wilson Blakey, Emma Clifford, Jean Donnachie, Euan Girvan, Toni Lee Henderson, Jennifer McCarron, Agnesa Murselaj, Noreen Real, Roza Salih and Ewelina Siwak.

THANKS TO: Anne Marie Brodie, Firsat Dag, Eddie Donnachie Snr, George Gallacher, Colin McGavin, Serguei, Tatiana and Stepan Serykh, Mhairi Shannon and Robin Taudevin.

And to Sheila Arthur, Ayrshire Friends of Refugees, Gordon Bavaird, Anna Bainbridge, Allan Bell, Mrs and Mr Bissett, Ellen Bramwell, Noel Bridgeman, Bridging the Gap, British Red Cross, Sandy Busby, Bill Butler, Zahra, Raim and Faisal Byansi, Camcorder Guerillas, Catholic Church in Scotland, Nalini Chetty, Church of Scotland, Martin Coyle, Clare Docherty, Allan Donnachie, Eddie Donnachie Jr, Rhona Dougall, The cleaners, dinner ladies, janitors, office staff, parents, pupils and teachers of Drumchapel High School, Nicky Elliot, Fire Brigade Union (Scottish Region), Framework for Dialogue, Glasgow Asylum Seekers Project, Glasgow Central Mosque, Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees, Glasgow City Council, Anne Marie Gorman, Maryam Hamidi, Gareth Harper, Patrick Harvie, Damian Henderson, Lindsay Hill, Jassim Johe, Phil Jones, Justice and Peace Scotland, Joanna Kaczynska, Zara Kadir, Rosie Kane, Clare Kelly, Mel Kenyon, Kingsway

Against Raids at Dawn, Kingsway Health and Wellbeing Centre, LINKES, Fiona Macrae, Durr-e Maqnoon, Professor Kathleen Marshall, Maryhill Integration Network, Lesley McCue, David McGlashin, Aideen McLaughlin, Frank McMaster, Richard Morran, Jock Morris, Peter Mullan, Murselaj Family, Musicians Union, National Union of Journalists, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Jamie O’Neill, Oxfam Scotland, Alison Peebles, Positive Action in Housing, Rev. John Purves, Robina Qureshi, Refugee Survival Trust, Aileen Ritchie, Shafeek Samoo, Save the Children Scotland, Dave Scott, Hannah Scott, Scottish Refugee Council, Scottish Trades Union Congress, Kirsty Scullon, Mary Semirimu, Robert Smith, Hazel Steele, Louise Stewart, Rev Graham Thain, Alli Taudevin, Julia Taudevin, Unison, Unite Housing Branch, Unity, Vucaj Family, Margaret Watt, Margaret Woods, Sandra White, Yoker Resource Centre/Community Campus and many, many others.

THANKS ALSO TO: Frances Thorburn, Helen C. Gorton, Tony Gayle, Peter Hughes, Belinda McElhinney, Philippa McIntyre and the Refugee Council, Clare Tudor and the Scottish Refugee Council, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP, Lindsay Hill for the use of her BBC documentary Tales from the Edge and access to all her documentation of the period, and to Merrigong Theatre Company for their support.

The National Theatre of Scotland, a company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland (SC234270), is a registered Scottish charity (SCO33377). The National Theatre of Scotland is core funded by the Scottish Government.

Producers Theatre Royal Stratford East is a prolific developer of new work, attracting artists and audiences often not represented in many other venues. An important aspect of its work is the development of new musical theatre. The Theatre’s vision is to break new ground with musicals that bring contemporary and urban music into the mainstream of British theatre. This has led to the production of a broad spectrum of acclaimed sell-out musicals with its work transferring nationally and internationally.

These include Baiju Bawra, Da Boyz, The Big Life, The Harder They Come, The Blacks, Come Dancing, Takeaway, Clockwork Orange, Reasons to be Cheerful (with Graeae Theatre Company and New Wolsey Theatre), Britain’s Got Bhangra (with Rifco Arts & Warwick Arts Centre), the Olivier Award winning Pied Piper (with Boy Blue Ents) and most recently Wah! Wah! Girls (with Sadler’s Wells and Kneehigh).

It is our ambition to make incredible theatre experiences for you, which will stay in your heart and mind long after you have gone home.

“As theatrical icons go, few come bigger than Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre” The Herald

Richard Jordan Productions Ltd is a UK and international award-winning theatre production company. Since 1998, it has produced over 170 productions in 17 different countries including 49 world-premieres and has been at the forefront of developing and/ or presenting works by a diverse range of established and emerging writers and artists.

The company produces regularly with Theatre Royal Stratford East and with Cora Bissett and her company Pachamama Productions. In 2012 their co-production of Roadkill was recipient of the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement at an Affiliate Theatre.

The Citizens Theatre is an iconic venue and theatre company based in the Gorbals area of Glasgow. It has been one of Scotland’s flagship producing theatres since 1945, recognised internationally as a leader in its field. Fondly known as The Citz, it is led by Artistic Director, Dominic Hill.

As our name suggests, we believe our work can enhance and transform the lives of citizens of all ages, cultures and social backgrounds. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to take part in the creative life of our theatre, developing skills and self-confidence in an inclusive environment where new friendships can flourish.

With a beautiful Victorian auditorium that dates from 1878, the Citizens presents a world-class repertoire based on British and foreign classics and new writing. The theatre has extensive backstage workshop facilities where we make all of our own sets and costumes.

We tirelessly seek the stories which need to be told and retold, the voices which need to be heard and the sparks that need to be ignited. We do this with an everevolving community of play-makers, maverick thinkers and theatre crusaders. We try to be technically adventurous and fearlessly collaborative. We are what our artists, performers and participants make us. And with no stage of our own, we have the freedom to go where our audiences and stories take us.

There is no limit to what we believe theatre can be, no limit to the stories we are able to tell, no limit to the possibilities of our imaginations.

All of Scotland is our stage, and from here we perform to the world. We are a theatre of the imagination: a Theatre Without Walls.

Pachamama Productions is the Glasgow based company set up by director/ actor/ musician Cora Bissett. The company was established to allow Cora to explore compelling universal stories rooted in innovative collaborations across art forms with a particular focus upon untold stories of human rights abuses and empowering women’s stories from around the world.

Associate Producer

Merrigong Theatre Company manages one of Australia’s busiest, most dynamic, regional venues – Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. Merrigong is also a vibrant theatre company in its own right – producing, presenting and touring exciting contemporary theatre and supporting the development of a wide range of independent theatre-makers.

OUr VISION IS UNlImIted

BUt OUr fUNdING IS NOT...

Theatre Royal Stratford East believes in the ability of theatre to achieve radical change. We are proud of our capacity to draw such a diverse audience to this much loved venue. We couldn’t do it without the generous support of our funders as all charitable organisations are feeling the pinch at present, and here at Theatre Royal Stratford East it’s no different.

We are increasingly reliant upon sponsorship, memberships, donations and legacies to sustain the world-class work of this unique local theatre.

So we would urge you, if you like what you see, to get in touch with us to explore the many ways you can support our on stage work or our inspirational programme for young people and the community.

Supporting our vital work starts from £250 and in return you will receive a partnership that will work for you at every stage, including access to great behind-the-scenes moments and the opportunity to involve any community partners you may have.

We invite you to help us safeguard the future of this inspirational and iconic theatre. For more information on all sponsorships, donations, memberships and legacy, please contact Sarah Sawkins, Head of Development on 020 8279 1137 or email ssawkins@stratfordeast.com

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR SUPPORT

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS

ACT Foundation, Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, Children in Need, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Gibbs Trust, Jack Petchey Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Swan Foundation and The Garrick Club Causes Dear Committee.

MAJOR DONORS

Martina Cole, Elizabeth and Derek Joseph, Lord Tony Hall CBE, Aspers Casino, and all those who wish to remain anonymous.

THE VISION COLLECTIVE

Michael and Dianne Bienes, Derek Brown, Barbara Ferris, Nick & Wendy Jakob, Angela & Stephen Jordan, Elizabeth and Derek Joseph, Carol Lake, Mansell Bouquet Ltd, Murray Melvin, Carol Murphy, Stefano Nappo, Derek Paget, Toni Palmer, Scrutton Estates Ltd, Gordon Sheret, Jan & Bill Smith, Jane Storie, Lady Stratford, Sabine Vinck, Hedley G Wright and all those who wish to remain anonymous.

BUSINESS SUPPORTERS

The Adam Street Private Members Club, Birkbeck University of London, Devonshires Solicitors, Gallions Reach Shopping Park, J.P. Morgan, Premier Inn Stratford London, Tate & Lyle Sugars.

We would also like to say thank you to the Avis Bunnage Estate, Terry Brown and Peter Clayton for their support.

Photos: Robert Day, Steve Tanner

theatre rOyal StratfOrd eaSt

Staff admINIStratION aNd OPeratIONS Ali Fellows General Manager

Darren Spencer Building Maintenance Technician Graeme Bright Building and Facilities Manager Leanda Linton Bar and Front of House Manager Mary Caws Executive Director Stuart Saunders Resources and Technical Manager Velma Fontaine Operations Coordinator

arChIVeS

Mary Ling Assistant Archivist Murray Melvin Theatre Archivist

artIStIC

Dawn Reid Deputy Artistic Director Karen Fisher Associate Producer Kerry Michael Artistic Director

Programme design: www.mikejefferies.co.uk

Rita Mishra Assistant to Artistic Director Shawab Iqbal Assistant Producer

artIStIC aSSOCIateS Fred Carl (US), John Gordon Team Angelica

Bar Staff

Louise Brown (Team Leader), Robert Buckle, Mateusz Czerwinski, Dwayne Hutchinson, Aaron James, Charlene Pierre (Supervisor), Emily Medway, Iuliana Toma, Jodie Fisher, Jowita Katarzyna, Leighton Lewis (Supervisor), Leonard Headlam (Porter), Lois-Ann Messiah (Chef), Louise Brown (Team Leader), Manasha Mudhir (Chef), Mutsa Mandeya (Supervisor), Peter Rodriguez, Marcin Zawistowski, Renu Mehto (Porter), William Humphrey (Chef)

BOX OffICe

Amaryllis Courtney, Ana Gizelda Burke, Angela Frost (Box Office Manager), Asha Bhatti, Bérengère Ariaudo De Castelli, Beryl Warner (Box Office Supervisor), Eyesha Mingo, Julie Lee, Kemisha Plummer

BOard Of dIreCtOrS

Andrew Cowan Carol Lake (Chair) Derek Joseph Jo Melville Lady Stratford Mark Pritchard Michael Eboda Paul O’Leary (Vice Chair) Sabine Vinck

deVelOPmeNt

Matthew Xia

Asma Hussain Development Co-ordinator

Rikki Beadle Blair Team Angelica

Emma Joy- Staines Development Manager

Robert Lee (US)

Sarah Sawkins Head of Development

ULTZ

dOmeStIC aSSIStaNtS

marKetING aNd PreSS

fINaNCe

Sally Goldsmith Head of Sales and Marketing

Bradley Peter, Elizabeth Acquah, Iuliana Toma, Marjorie Walcott, Rehema Nyange

Elinor Jones Finance Officer Paul Canova Head of Finance Titilayo Onanuga Finance Officer

frONt Of hOUSe

Ushers (unless otherwise stated): Alexandra LivermoreMarshall, Bridget Dube Christine Matando (Duty Manager and Fire Marshal), Corinne Linton, Grace Hall, Heather Walker, Itoya Osagiede, Jessica Carroll, Joan Kagunza, Jordanna Phillips (Head Usher), Katherine Glyde (Duty Manager and Fire Marshal), Leeam Francis, Marta NogueraCuevas (Duty Manager and Fire Marshal) Michael Salami, Rachael Pierre, Razaam Parvez, Robert Eames (Head Usher), Rosie Christian (Duty Manager and Fire Marshal), Russeni Fisher, Tanoh Danso (Head Usher and Fire Marshal)

Felix Mussell Press and Marketing Officer

Tom Gladstone Digital Communications Officer

PrOdUCtION Chris Murray Deputy Head of Electrics

Kyle MacPherson Head of Electrics Richard Parr Head of Stage Sarah Buik Company & Stage Manager

PrOfeSSIONal adVISOrS

Linda Potter Wrightsure Services Ltd Kingston Smith Auditors Neil Adleman Harbottle & Lewis LLP

yOUNG PeOPle’S WOrK Jan Sharkey-Dodds Head of Young People’s Work Karlos Coleman Project Manager Serena B. Robins Project Manager