THE CROSSING: Ghanaian Theatre at the Bikeshed Monday 9 April - Saturday 14 April

Tangle Theatre Company present 'The Crossing'
(Interview with Anna Coombs on the 'Africa Centre' website)

PRESS RELEASE 02/03/2012

Tangle’s ground breaking African production comes back
to its home port in the South West.

Tangle Theatre Company in association with
Nottingham Playhouse and supported by
Theare503 present the tour of
'THE CROSSING'

Written by  Esther O’Toole.

Directed by  Anna Coombs.

The tour starts on Monday 9th April, 7.30pm
at The Bike Shed, Exeter
Press Night is on Wednesday 11th April, 7.30pm
(also at The Bike Shed, Exeter)

SYNOPSIS:

Leave it all behind. Friends, family, lovers. Drop all your hopes of a life at home and gamble everything you have...for the chance of a brighter future.

Have you the money? Have you the strength, the willpower to make the final crossing?

The Crossing is a riveting story of three Ghanaian men who journey thousands of miles across Africa - in search of the new ‘EUtopia’.

HISTORY:

'The Crossing' was first presented on the day in which immigration dominated the news
- owing to an alleged ‘amnesty of convenience’ -
and as part of the 2011 Nottingham European Arts & Theatre Festival (NEAT11).
It played to sell out houses.

'The Crossing' now transfers to Exeter.
It is the first ever all-Ghanaian stage production in Devon theatre history!

The play originated in rural Devon in 2008
- Author Esther O'Toole is a Devon based writer
- Anna Coombes is a Cornish director
Four years later the play is coming ‘back home’.

The Crossing is presented by Tangle,
one of the UK’s most exciting new theatre companies.
Founded in remote West Cornwall and now based in Taunton,
it’s the region’s only resident multi-cultural theatre company.

COMMENTS


"Esther O’Toole’s superb play ‘The Crossing’...
an absolute delight to watch,
easily the best theatre I've seen for a long time...
poignant, passionate and utterly persuasive."
Left Lion, June 2011 *****

“I lived in the south west for eight years
and whilst it’s one of the most outward looking communities I know,
it’s also one of the most remote.
At the heart of Tangle’s ethos is the sharing and mixing of cultural heritage
and our many talents to get closer to what drives us all:
I thought - why not bring Africa to Cornwall?
Tangle works across the region to break down cultural walls.”
Anna Coombs, Artistic Director

“I knew this was not a story to be written solo
but had not imagined I would get the chance to workshop
with African actors while in the south west.
Together we were able to add Twi
['Twi' is the name for two languages 'Asante' and 'Alkuapem'
- which in conjunction with 'Fante' are the common languages
of the 'Akan' people of Ghana and Côte D'Ivoire]
and get the language and feel of the play right.
I coupled this with talking to refugees and journalists,
researching verbatim accounts of the journeys
and looking out at the fishing boats on the Atlantic.
I imagined sitting in one with up to 180 people;
in the silence and the dark.”
Esther O’Toole, Writer

Tickets: £10 (concessions £7)
Box Office: 01392 346116
For more info, or to book online:
Bikeshed Theatre Website