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LATEST NEWS: A compelling drama centered around prisoners in three different countries is set to premiere at a theatre in Derbyshire before making its debut in New York.

Published

4 months ago

February 28, 2024

A captivating new drama delving into the interconnected lives of strangers across the globe is scheduled to premiere in Derbyshire before its debut in New York.

“Lines,” hailed as one of the ‘Best Theatre Tickets To Book’ for 2024 by The Guardian, will be showcased at Derby Theatre on March 15 and 16. Set within five prisons spanning Uganda, Palestine, and Britain, the play intricately follows the parallel lives of ten seemingly unrelated prisoners across five decades in a post-colonial context.

Among the characters are Arwa, a queer educator from Kampala detained for her sexual orientation, and Waswa, a student in Tel Aviv who encounters an activist and finds himself incarcerated. Both Arwa and Waswa are portrayed by actor/writers John Rwothomack, a Ugandan native, and Fidaa Zidan, a Palestinian.

John said: “We’re bringing two countries, Uganda and Palestine, which you wouldn’t think have many connections, together to realise they have so much in common.

“One of the biggest questions we had was if you took Britain out of the timeline of these two countries, what would they look like?

“I think that can only be explored through theatre.”

The show starts in Palestine in the 1970s, after the Entebbe raid rescue of a hijacked jet, and finishes there in 2019.

The production delves into themes including the significance of land, the innate human longing for belonging, as well as issues of injustice and racism.

The show’s inception stemmed from a fortuitous encounter between John, Fidaa, and US producer Alex Aron, igniting a collaborative journey spanning four years across three continents, primarily conducted online.

John emphasized, “It’s fundamentally about delving into the connections we share with others, illustrating that through dialogue with strangers, commonalities emerge.” He continued, “By fostering understanding and empathy, we aspire to cultivate greater compassion in the world.”

“There are certainly moments of levity, but ultimately, we hope viewers will recognize aspects of themselves within the narrative and contemplate how they might respond to similar circumstances.”

Lines is the brainchild of Sheffield’s Roots Mbili Theatre, founded by John and renowned for its acclaimed production Far Gone and the ongoing project Never Look Back.

This production is a collaborative effort with the American Remote Theatre Project and Sheffield Theatres, enriched by the creative contributions of Lebanese artist Junaid Sarieddeen and additional writing by Ugandan playwright Asiimwe Deborah Kawe.

Lines premieres in Sheffield this week (February 28) and will subsequently tour to Lancaster, Scarborough, and Harrogate before culminating at New York’s La Mama Theatre in May.