Finding sanctuary in the most unlikely places is the theme of a play that tells the stories of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers by professional actors from the same backgrounds.
'Named 'Here', it is a new stage performance, directed by Amy Golding and written by Lindsay Rodden, is part of Curious Monkey’s Arriving project which has been collaborating for 18 months with refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants from all over the world including Sudan, Syria, Angola, and many more.
Writer Lindsay Rodden worked closely with more than 80 people who are now settling in the North East and Derby to create authentic characters for the show being staged at Northern Stage, Newcastle.
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It tells the story of two best friends with a library card who summon power through friendship and books.
Arieta Visoka, 26, is among the professional actors in the cast. She plays Lulja. Arieta came to the UK aged two as a refugee from Kosovo. Fast forward to 2022 and she is excited to share the play with a live audience in what is her first professional job.
She said: “I was a bit nervous about what to expect because it’s something that’s very personal to me and my family. So when I went to the audition day, my nerves just went. And knowing that everyone in the room was from different backgrounds, made me comfortable.
“The role I play is called Lulja and she is from Albania, whereas I’m from Kosovo but I am Albanian. Her story is different from mine but in terms of how I feel, I feel very protective over the character and I want to do it justice. It makes me feel very proud to play a girl from Albania, it’s not a role you always come across. I’m so in my element.”
She adds: “I can’t wait to see the characters interact on stage, and show the truth behind their own history. The story is very important to me personally, and I feel so lucky to be working with the whole creative team again.”
Karen Traynor, 46, plays Janet. She said: “The character I play has come on an adventure from Scotland, and to Byker, where she is originally born. She comes back with the aim of finding what she is looking for. And she finds these two women, who drive her crazy, actually. And she learns to love them.
“The play is funny and very emotional as well. Janet has all the ‘cheeky’ lines.
“She is a harsh character and very guarded. Throughout the play she starts to put her guard down. I suppose there are life lessons in that, in accepting other people and listening and finding out about yourself through other people.”
She adds: “My character is in a section of society who is skeptical about change, and other groups of society that they don’t recognise necessarily - I don’t think Janet is racist but she questions things.”
The play’s aim is to give a powerful message and make the audience feel connected to the stories echoed on the stage.
Artistic director Amy Golding, 42 said: “Here is a beautiful story full of hope and challenges. It's about unlikely friendships, it’s both very funny and heart-wrenching in parts. Set against the backdrop of austerity in a struggling library, it is also about the power of books and storytelling.
“It's a fictional story set in Byker but it has characters from Angola, Albania, and Kurdistan. Murat Erkek plays Salim, the Kurdish character. Joana Geronimo from Angola plays Pauline, and Arietta plays the Albanian character.
“Before the play existed, Joana joined me to meet people who are sanctuary seekers in the city, and we were going, through refugees, and support services,
“We would ask if they would like to join a workshop and attend theatre plays. With the help of Lindsay, we started to listen to the stories of the people who joined our workshops and started writing the script.
“The first cast member was Joana, and the rest of the cast was invited from all over the country who aren’t originally from the UK.”
The play is about the ‘friendship’ of two teenage girls, who have found their partner in crime and go on this journey to discover the city. The place they visit is the library, and this place is a metaphor for individual stories that are kept safe, looked after, and respected.
Amy added: “I hope this play challenges perceptions of people who are seeking sanctuary, I think what this play does is it individualises stories, you get to know the three main different characters very well. It also shines a light on stories that don’t get heard often. I hope people leave saying ‘there’s a lot that's not fair and I want to help them’, I would like it if people left and wanted to do something in their community.”
She said: “When you see theatre and watch it live, it’s impossible to not be drawn in as empathy is very powerful, it evokes a feeling. It can really want you to do something, a piece of theatre can make you care about the characters. The discussion afterward provokes conversations and challenges people's own way of thinking about things. How do you improve the future, and theatre should be for everybody.
“Some people might go, it's not for me and it's not my thing. We do anything to bring people in.”
The show was due to open in the week of the very first lockdown in March 2020, it was about to open and tour the UK when the theatres were all shut down.
Amy said: “Two years on and the play is more urgent than ever. The increased hostile environment fuelled by Priti Patel’s nationality and borders bill make it all the more important that we humanise people who are seeking sanctuary, this play helps us to understand the commonalities between us as humans despite where we’re from and what circumstances we have found ourselves in.”
HERE is on from 4-12 March 2022 at Northern Stage, Newcastle. Tickets from £10.
It's part of The Arriving Project – Curious Monkey’s ongoing work with people seeking sanctuary in the UK, who have come from all over the world.
Recommended age: 12+
Box office: 0191 230 5151 / https://www.northernstage.co.uk/Event/at-home-here
