Tron Theatre Announces Limited Digital Release Dates For THINGS MY WHITE FRIENDS SAY

Tron Theatre Company will present black, Glaswegian writer Joe McCann's uncompromising new play Things My White Friends Say, as an experimental piece of film-theatre available on limited digital release from 1st-12th June 2021. With dramaturgy and directed by Raman Mundair, Things My White Friends Say is an exploration of everyday racism in Scotland, conceived of in the light of George Floyd's murder and the Black Lives Matter movement that has enthralled the world.

Joe originally pitched his script to the Tron in early 2020 and we were excited to work with him as a new, working-class voice in playwriting. The work was powerful and of the moment and straightaway we knew it was a production we wanted to make. The pandemic however, had other ideas. Now though, with support from the Scottish Government's Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund, we're able to stage the work in full as part of our lockdown programme of activity. The PAVRF grant has enabled us to support freelancers, including those local to us and those under-represented in the sector, across a whole range of projects.

Four actors of colour, Reuben Joseph, Laura Lovemore, Thandeka Muronzo and Jatinder Singh Randhawa,
will take to the stage to articulate their own experiences of racism, as well as the experiences of other People of Colour interviewed by Joe for a piece of verbatim theatre influenced by the style of Gary McNair's Locker Room Talk. The play will also present, confront, and challenge the views of a wide-ranging section of the white public from textile heiresses to policemen, MPs to journalists and many more.

Joe says of writing Things My White Friends Say:
'After George Floyd's death I knew I wanted to write a piece on race, but specifically race in Scotland. There is a fallacy that racism doesn't exist in Scotland, or that it isn't as bad here as it is elsewhere. But that's just not true - I've been on the receiving end of racism in this country for as long as I can remember. It's something that needs to be addressed and the reason why I want to write specifically about lived experiences of racism here. I want the play to be a call to arms and a wee part of a very long overdue reckoning.'

A post-show event for Things My White Friends Say ticket-holders will take place on Saturday 12th June at 6pm. Facilitated by Gillian Neish of Neish Training, whose work focuses on challenging the power inequalities of racism, this event provides a space and opportunity for people who have been affected by the play to meet and discuss their thoughts and reflections in a safe facilitated session. Also present at the event will be writer Joe McCann and director Raman Mundair.

Tickets: Available to Things My White Friends Say ticket holders only, Box Office: 0141 552 4267 or http://www.tron.co.uk/

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