Greenwich & Lewisham Young People S Theatre and Teatro Vivo Present

PRESS RELEASE 30th July 2014

Greenwich & Lewisham Young People’s Theatre and Teatro Vivo present:

Mother Courage and Her Children

“For innovative theatre company Teatro Vivo, no-go areas simply become destinations for one more adventure to add to the story so far” The Guardian

In the year that the nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One, Bertolt Brecht’s play is brought vividly to life against a backdrop of cannons, in a promenade performance that draws on the Woolwich Arsenal’s history as part of Britain’s war machine, and highlights the human cost of surviving conflict. Audiences are invited to become war refugees, engaging with a cast of professional actors and a Community Chorus of 30 local people. They will go on a dramatic journey through the site, experiencing Woolwich’s own war history, and the historic Royal Arsenal Site itself through drama, poetry and song

Mother Courage, a canteen woman, pulls her cart with her three children in the wake of an army, trading with the soldiers and attempting to make profit from the Thirty Years’ War. Her wheeling and dealing allows her family to thrive for a time, but she ultimately pays the price for her profiteering, leaving the audience to question who really gains. Written in 1939, Mother Courage is one of the nine plays that Brecht wrote to counter fascism and Nazism and this important text retains relevance to this day in the light of conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Crimea

Greenwich & Lewisham Young People’s Theatre (GLYPT) have been creating theatre for and with young people from the ages 2-25 for over 40 years. They are a based at the Tramshed Theatre, and regularly tour schools with education projects such as the CHOICES programme, aiming to raise awareness of gang violence and culture amongst young people.

Teatro Vivo are a South London based company who transform much loved stories into theatrical adventures, collaborating with communities and audiences since 2005 to create powerful theatre in unusual spaces. Past productions include After the Tempest in parks across London, The Odyssey in Deptford High Street and Adventures in Wonderland that has toured to museums, libraries and theatres across the UK. They are associate artists of The Watermill Theatre and The Albany, Deptford.

Sophie Austin is the founder of Teatro Vivo. As well as directing many of their shows, Sophie’s assistant and associate directing credits include Old Times directed by Ian Rickson, One Thousand and One Nights with Tim Supple, Absent Friends directed by Jeremy Herrin at the Harold Pinter Theatre, and The Heretic by Richard Bean at the Royal Court.

The Royal Arsenal carried out armament manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research during WWI and WWII. It was established in the late 17th Century, and the factory closed in 1967. It has been open to the public since 1994 when the Ministry of Defence moved out and a major regeneration project commenced.

@glyptattramshed | @teatrovivo | #MotherCourage | www.glypt.co.uk | www.teatrovivo.co.uk

Running Time: 100 mins (no interval) | Suitable for ages 12+

Company Information

Directed by Sophie Austin Written by Bertolt Brecht

Design by Jane Mackintosh and Gordon Allum Produced by Chris Williams and Jeremy James

Cast

Includes Kas Darley, Denise Orita, Mark Stevenson, James Traherne and Michael Wagg.

Listings information

Starting at Gate House on Beresford Sq

No.1 Street,Royal ArsenalRiverside,Woolwich, London SE18 6FB

5th to 21st September as part of the Tall Ships Festival

5th to 7th: Fri 5th 6.30pm, Sat 6th & Sun 7th 11am & 6.30pm

10th to 21st: Weds & Thurs 10am & 1.30pm, Fri 1.30pm & 7.30pmSat & Sun 2pm and 6pm

Public tickets: £12 (£7 concs) | www.glypt.co.uk | 020 8854 1316

Additional: please contact GLYPT on 020 8854 1316 or for schools performances.

Supported by The Royal Borough of Greenwich, Arts Council England, The Heritage Lottery and Lewisham Council

Press Contact: Emma at Mobius 020 3195 6269 or