DEEDS NOT WORDS, 100 YEARS OF THE VOTE FOR ISLES WOMEN UNCOVERED IN NEW HEBRIDEAN PLAY
Posted on
22/01/2018
Deeds not Words is a new Hebridean play being produced in the Isle of Lewis by Rural Nations Scotland CIC in partnership with An Lanntair. The play will tour to rural venues across the Outer Hebrides in February 2018. The play has been written by London based playwright Toria Banks based on brand new research into the role of Hebridean women in the suffrage movement.
The play presents the surprising narratives of several Hebridean women taking us out of Lewis to Serbia and back again to St Kilda featuring familiar places and names but telling some astounding, unheard of stories of bravery and resourcefulness that are anything but old fashioned. Focusing on stories of local woman including Helen MacDougal from Barvas, the Stornoway suffrage society and the herring gutters who took up the call of the munitions factories. The bilingual play will be directed by Muriel Ann Macleod who through the project hoped to make a piece of theatre for Island women, to encourage and inspire women today to engage with political and local representation and take action in their own communities. Both English and Gaelic singing and speech combined with newly created and archive audio visual elements will be used to tell these remarkable true stories.
A small cast of three Hebridean and Scottish actresses will take on the variety of roles played out with a new Gaelic song and music commission from Mary Ann Kennedy and an almost entirely female production team. Deeds not Words evokes valiantly the 100th year of women's suffrage in 2018.
The play received funding from the Scottish Government, CNES, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Point and Sandwick Trusts and LEADER as well as being supported through local contributors and sponsorship from 17 local businesses.
The opening night of Deeds Not Words will take place at An Lanntair arts centre in Stornoway on February 15th followed by evening and schools performances before touring Lewis, Harris,the Uists and Barra between the 20th-24th February 2018.