Togail Nàisean/Building a Nation (2017/18)
Photos by Seán Purser. Poster image by kind permission of Paul Climie
Performance video by Clyde Jones.
Tour Dates:
An Lanntair Stornoway Thursday 5th October 9pm Carinish Village Hall North Uist Saturday 7th October 9pm St Peter's Hall, South Uist, Monday 9th October 9pm Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Skye Wednesday 11th October 9pm Websters Theatre, Glasgow Friday 13th October 9pm Websters Theatre, Glasgow Saturday 14th October 9pm Mull Theatre Mull Tuesday 24th October 9pm Scottish Storytelling Centre Edinburgh Thursday 9th November 9pm |
Written and performed by Martin O'Connor Sound Design by Nichola Scrutton Gaelic Artists Rona Dhòmhnallach and Gillebrìde MacMillan Production Manager Mick Andrew Produced by Glasgow Life Supported by National Theatre of Scotland Presented in English, Scots and Gaelic. O’ Connor is a masterful performer and writer, making his stories feel as warm and intimate as a friend down the pub; yet simultaneously theatrically rich and politically minded (Lorna Irvine) The show has a definite bight and an edge to it, but it also has a wry smile at its own nostalgic self...The interplay between Scots and Gaelic and English is rapid and jumps between soulful humour and jarring observation that makes you clench your teeth in recognition. This is fine storytelling (Mike Small, Bella Caledonia) Building a Nation is a spoken word and sound performance by poet and Gaelic learner Martin O’Connor. Steeped in the industrial voice of his own Glaswegian Scots, he explores the personal relationship with voice, accent and dialect and unearths the words we lose when we leave the land for the city, the words we lose when a place is swept by deindustrialization, and the words we lose when we are disconnected from our cultural identity. Tha bàrd a dh’ionnsaich a’ Ghàidhlig, Martin O’Connor, a’ cur Togail Nàisean air àrd-ùrlar le cainnt is fuaim. Tha dualchas Albais gnìomhachais Ghlaschu gu domhainn ann fhèin, is tha e a’ rannsachadh a dhàimh phearsanta ris a’ ghuth, ri blas is ri dualchainnt, is a’ rùrach airson nam faclan a chailleas sinn nuair a thèid sinn on fhearann chun a’ bhaile mhòir, na faclan a chailleas sinn nuair a sguabar gnìomhachas air falbh à àite, is na faclan a chailleas sinn nuair a thèid air sgaradh o ar n ionannachd chultarach fhèin. |