Gaelic play Sequamur goes international
Following on from the success of its national tour earlier this year, Sequamur, the highly acclaimed Gaelic World War One theatre production, will be at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from the 18th to the 24th of August 2015.
Pròiseact nan Ealan (The Gaelic Arts Agency) announced the production will stage performances at the East Belfast Arts Festival in Northern Ireland, the Platform Theatre, London, before concluding the tour with a special performance in Ypres, Belgium.
Sequamur, written by Donald S Murray, of South Dell on the Isle of Lewis but now based on Shetland, tells the poignant story of William J Gibson, who was rector of the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway between 1894 and 1925. The play portrays the grief and guilt felt by Gibson who encouraged his pupils to fight in the conflict.
An enlightened and charismatic teacher, Gibson believed in the power of progress through education. He genuinely believed that service in WWI would bring a new enlightened age to Britain – but endured personal turmoil following the death of 148 of his own pupils.
The play is being staged by Pròiseact nan Ealan which said it was grateful for significant support from Creative Scotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the Scottish Government, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Colm Cille & RBS.
The 60-minute play is performed in Gaelic but is designed to be fully accessible to all, with live simultaneous translation via headphones for people who do not speak Gaelic.
Erica Morrison, Creative Director at Pròiseact nan Ealan, said: “The international audiences which attend the Edinburgh Festival will discover a thought-provoking drama which transcends language boundaries.
“The play echoes events which occurred in our Gaelic community, yet it mirrors similar events which were happening in communities across Europe. Using dramatic performance to allow the audience to share in the sense of grief and loss highlights the important role of the arts in understanding our history.”
