Photo Flash: Sting Visits Fairfield Heritage Centre to Launch THE LAST SHIP

Sting this morning visited Fairfield Heritage Centre in Govan, Glasgow to launch The Last Ship. Scroll down for photos!

The Last Ship is inspired by Sting's 1991 album The Soul Cages and his own childhood experiences. It tells the story of a community amid the demise of the shipbuilding industry in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, with the closure of the town's Swan Hunter shipyard - making Fairfield the perfect spot for the exclusive event.

The pair arrived in Govan to treat a small audience of around 80 to a live acoustic performance of songs from the show and a Q&A. Members of the audience included press, guests of Theatre Royal, guests of Fairfield and secondary school music pupils.

The Last Ship will sail into Glasgow's Theatre Royal from Monday 18 until Saturday 18 June following a week at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre.

James Haworth, Theatre Director at Theatre Royal, said: "It was an honour to welcome Sting to Glasgow today and invite him to visit Fairfield Heritage Centre.

"With The Last Ship exploring the culture and history of shipbuilding I have no doubt that this musical will appeal to the Glasgow audience.

"I'd like to thank Sting for taking the time to visit and to everyone at Fairfield Heritage Centre who helped make this a morning to remember."

Abigail Morris, Fairfield Co-ordinator, said: "We have many visitors pass through our doors but it's not every day you can say that Sting was one of them.

"We hope he enjoyed his visit to Fairfield and Glasgow and we look forward to seeing The Last Ship when it arrives in June."

This personal, political and passionate new musical from multiple Grammy Award winner Sting, is an epic account of a family, a community and a great act of defiance. With original music and lyrics by Sting, The Last Ship also features a few of his best-loved songs Island of Souls, All This Time and When We Dance.

When Gideon Fletcher returns home after seventeen years at sea, tensions between past and future flare in both his family and his town. The local shipyard, around which Wallsend has always revolved, is closing and no-one knows what will come next, only that a half-built ship towers over the terraces.

This is the proud story of when the last ship sails.

The show is directed by Lorne Campbell, the artistic director of Northern Stage, with set design by the Tony Award-winning 59 Productions.

One of the country's most exciting and acclaimed theatre directors, Edinburgh-born Lorne Campbell had his first professional job as an assistant director at Northern Stage, before returning as artistic director in 2013. A graduate of Channel 4's Young Theatre Director scheme, he has previously worked with the Liverpool Everyman Playhouse, Bath Theatre Royal, Traverse Theatre and Greyscale theatre company, which he co-founded. Productions for Northern Stage include Get Carter, Dr Frankenstein and A Song For Ella Grey

The Last Ship is produced by Northern Stage in association with Karl Sydow and Kathryn Schenker.

Tickets are on sale now at www.atgtickets.com/glasgow.

Sting press conference

Sting press conference

Sting press conference

Sting press conference

Sting outside Fairfield Heritage Centre