Traverse Theatre Company to Present BLOODY TRAMS: A RAPID RESPONSE, 3/19 & 20

Traverse Theatre Company in association with Utter is delighted to announce a new addition to the Spring programme with a brand new piece of verbatim theatre, Bloody Trams: A Rapid Response, Wednesday 19 - Thursday 20 March, 8pm

A verbatim piece created by the People of Edinburgh, the show will form a rapid response to one of Edinburgh's most contested and emotive debates over the last decade - the Edinburgh Trams.

Created in Traverse 2 over three days, the rapid response will be rough, ready and urgent. Anonymous interviews will take place over the next few weeks with director Joe Douglas talking directly to people all over the capital, from coffee shop owners and taxi drivers to civil servants. This material will then form the basis for the rapid response piece, where two actors will recreate the opinions of the People of Edinburgh on stage. The composer and pianist David Paul Jones will perform live accompaniment and original songs based on the testimony, giving verbatim theatre a cabaret flavour.

Commenting on the project, director Joe Douglas said: "I've been frustrated and confused by the situation with the trams over the last few years. It has felt, at times, like something other than just the concrete has been ripped out of the city. I figured there must be a lot of stories out there from people who've been much more directly affected than I have and whose voices haven't been heard.

Inspired by National Theatre's London Road (2011) and the verbatim theatre work of Alecky Blythe, Bloody Trams: A Rapid Response will give a voice and a stage to these stories for those affected and for those interested in hearing the discussion. If you would like to get involved in the show and express an opinion, tweet Joe Douglas on @utterjoe using the hashtag #bloodytrams.

Joe continued: "I hope bringing people together in a room, listening to the stories presented in a theatrical way, will be enlightening and even cathartic. What is really exciting is that the piece is being made incredibly quickly and the content very much depends on what people say! It's a rapid response in the truest sense."

There will be a post-show discussion after each performance for the audience to hear further discussion and debate and also have the chance to give feedback and offer their opinion. Panellists taking part will be announced on 12 March. Live tweeting of the discussion will also take place from the @traversetheatre feed.

Director's Biography:

Joe Douglas

Joe trained in Directing at Rose Bruford College. He won a place on the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme and as a result became Trainee Director for the National Theatre of Scotland in 2007-8.

His directing credits include The BFG (Dundee Rep), The Last Polar Bears, Our Teacher's A Troll, Allotment and re-directing the 2013 world tour of Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland), The Reprobates (HighTide), The Drowning Pond, Jabberwocky (YMT), Thank You, Videotape and The Sunday Lesson(Oran Mor, Glasgow), Eat Theatre (Farnham Maltings), One For The Road and Fantasy Football (BAC), 5+1 (24:7 Theatre Festival). He has worked extensively as an Assistant and Staff Director on Number 1 tours, West End, World Tours and Off-Broadway.

He makes work with and for young people across a wide variety of contexts, especially in Youth Theatres and Drama Schools.

In 2012, he wrote and performed Educating Ronnie (Macrobert/Utter/HighTide) at the Edinburgh Festival as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase, where the production was awarded a Fringe First. Educating Ronnie toured Scotland in Autumn 2013 and was nominated for the National Theatre Foundation New Play Award. He is the Co-Artistic Director of the new work company, Utter.

Composer's Biography:

David Paul Jones

David Paul Jones was awarded the 2011 Glenfiddich Spirit Of Scotland Award for Music in recognition of outstanding contribution to the theatre and music industry in Scotland. His theatre work comprises of a prolific series of soundtracks and performances including: The Tree Of Knowledge (Traverse Theatre Company); Caged, Pobby & Dingan, Something Wicked This Way Comes (Catherine Wheels); Elizabeth Gordon Quinn, Our Teacher's A Troll, Mary Queen Of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off, The Missing (National Theatre Of Scotland); Those Eyes That Mouth, The Devil's Larder, Barflies and What Remain (Grid Iron).

His international work includes a recent collaboration with the National Theatre Of China - The Green Snake - created in Beijing and premiered in 2013 at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. The Green Snake opens at the JFK Center, Washington as part of the World Stages International Festival in March 2014.

His own work as a composer, pianist and vocalist includes his Linn Records release, Something There and his song-cycle Palmstar Poppy. His 4-Track EP, The Sky's Harbour, recently commissioned by the Prestwick World Festival Of Flight, is due to be released later this year.

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