Theatre Preview: New Connections, 10 – 14 June, Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh

The Royal Lyceum Theatre will play host to scores of local young performers and producers from Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14 June, in one of 15 showcases across the UK for New Connections, one of the world’s largest celebrations of youth theatre.

Organised by London’s National Theatre, New Connections commissions new plays for and about young people from some of the finest contemporary playwrights, allowing schools and youth theatres unique opportunities to tackle new productions and work with like-minded people.

This year, ten groups will be performing a range of exciting new plays at the Lyceum Theatre for the sixth consecutive year.

Theatre Review: Fugee, Traverse Theatre, 13 – 15 March

In a year that’s seen issues of asylum, national identity and the experience of immigrants discussed in pieces of theatre such as Testing the Echo and The Pearlfisher, it would seem that Abi Morgan’s new play, Fugee, sets itself a challenge from the offset in a bid to cover fresh ground on a subject that has quickly become the focus point for political theatre. A venture that both cast and play achieve with refreshing ability.

In it we meet Kojo (Danny Miller), an unaccompanied fourteen year old from the Cote d’Ivorie whose arrival into the UK sees him picked up and packed off by the authorities to a refuge centre for underage asylum seekers.

Although separated by language, the centre’s young cohabitants are united by their shared experience, one that soon brings about a blossoming relationship for Kojo and Iranian Ara (Natalie Mackinnon). But without official papers Kojo’s age is left up to the speculation of asylum officials as cracks in the system begin to appear and the glimmer of a more secure existence becomes tarnished by grim misfortune.

With a reputation for cultivating young talent, the Lyceum Youth Theatre cast is once again studded with promising turns. Miller confidently carries the narration of the piece whilst managing to tease out, for the most part, the psychological fragility of the understandably damaged Kojo.

It is Mackinnon however, whose deftly understated performance encapsulates the abhorrent isolation and desperation felt by the young people that makes the piece all the more emotive.

While there are a few lacklustre moments of stilted action and monotonous dialogue, Xana Maclean’s tightly constructed direction reigns over the large ensemble cast allowing for a fluid continuity between scenes. At the same time, Tom Zwitserlood and David Marwick’s carefully compiled sound design peppers scenes with apt tracks that bounce between the upbeat sounds of London youth culture to more minimal, atmospheric numbers.

Unlike similar pieces of theatre, Fugee successfully manages to take a universal issue and tell it through one individual’s experience in a way that is refined, compelling and at times disturbingly close to the bone.

It’s a shame then, that such an informative piece of youth work isn’t given a lengthier duration or a more prominent place on the Scottish stage.

With the capability to entertain and educate to such an extent, one would hope its message is not lost amongst the swathe of doting parents that predominantly make up the audience.

Review by Mhairi MacLeod

Theatre Preview: Behind-the-scenes of Fugee, Traverse Theatre

Hector Brown, one of the young stars of new Traverse production Fugee, gives an insider’s view of the making of the new production.

Brrrrrrrrrrap, Brrrrrrrrrrap, Brrrrrrrrrrrap! Give it up for the Fugee cast…

Now to be honest, when I was first asked to write a piece about Fugee, that was the first thing that came to my head. My own personal rendition of our very own Fugee podcast.

However, sadly we don’t have quite that big a budget. But this is the place to learn about all the chat and goings on of the Fugee cast and company in the last few weeks running up to opening night on 13 March.

So where to begin?

Theatre Preview: Fugee, 13 – 15 March, Traverse Theatre

The Traverse presents Fugee from 13 – 15 March, a new production from the Lyceum Youth Theatre.

When 14 year old Kojo tumbles into the UK “system” with no official papers, and no words in English, he is housed in a refuge for under-age asylum seekers. With new friends Cheung and Ara by his side he begins to reconcile his past and find pleasure in the present. But when the system starts to break down…

Once again proving that they’ve got their finger on the digital pulse, the Lyceum have some nice new rehearsal shots over on their website, along with some information about future youth theatre production.