New forged, musicians, and creatives have been introduced for KELI, the debut play from Ivor Novello Award-winning composer Martin Green (Lau).
Based on private tales from the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 collection ‘Love, Spit and Valve Oil’.
KELI tells the story of a fiery, sharp-witted teenager in a former mining city. Coal means little to Keli, however the mines left music within the blood of this place.
As the most effective participant her brass band has ever had, music is simple. Everything else is a battle. Feeling trapped in small-town life, strain mounts.
When the prospect to vary every thing arises, can Keli maintain a lid on all of it?
Marking 40 years because the miners’ strikes and that includes a pointy, hilarious script and dwell brass rating by Ivor Novello winner Martin Green, KELI is a gripping present about neighborhood, creativity, and the ability of music.
Touring Scotland in 2025, the present will attain audiences throughout the nation who belong to communities that have been vastly affected by the miners’ strike of 1984-85.
Green’s journey started by likelihood close to his dwelling in Midlothian. Following a poster promoting ‘BRASS IN THE PARK’, he found a self-sustaining world of music-making that – like the folks custom – had retained its social operate and was a part of the warp and weft of the communities that carried out it.
The fictional play has advanced from the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 collection Love, Spit and Valve Oil which explored the phenomenon of contemporary brass banding and featured interviews with members of brass bands. These interviews have impressed features of the characters within the play. In 2022 KELI was commissioned by The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh as a three-part audio drama.
Best often called the virtuoso accordionist within the visionary folks trio Lau, Martin Green has spent the previous two years on an odyssey deep into the world of brass bands, culminating on this staging of KELI, marking its world premiere as a stage play. Making his skilled debut as a playwright, Green was impressed by conversations he had for the BBC Radio 4 collection ‘Love, Spit and Valve Oil’.
KELI will function brass band music from Green’s acclaimed album SPLIT THE AIR. Each efficiency will function a dwell brass band efficiency from a number one Scottish brass band or ensemble of main brass band gamers. National Theatre of Scotland and Lepus Productions are delighted that Whitburn band and Kingdom Brass can be a part of this Scottish tour, sustaining ongoing relationships with Scottish brass bands and the communities they symbolize.
Whitburn Band, one in all Scotland’s main brass bands, was fashioned within the coronary heart of the coal mining space of West Lothian in 1870 initially serving as an outlet for members of the mining neighborhood to carry out at native parades and gala days. The Band has been Scottish Champion 22 instances, competes all through the UK and Europe, and performs repeatedly at main Scottish occasions. Recent performances embody Celtic Connections and the Edinburgh International Festival.
Kingdom Brass was fashioned in 1999, after the amalgamation of the Cowdenbeath and the Kelty & Blairadam Bands. In the identical 12 months, the band competed for the primary time on the Fife Championships and swept the boards. Since then, the band has competed domestically and nationally profitable quite a few trophies and is established as one in all Scotland’s high bands. The band performs at concert events, bandstand occasions, and native Gala days.
Cast: Liberty Black (Keli), Karen Fishwick (Jayne), Olivia Hemmati (Amy/Saskia), Billy Mack (Willie Knox) and Phil McKee (Brian).
Performing Musical Director – Louis Abbott and small brass ensemble – Stacey Ghent, Flugelhorn; Hanna Mbuya, Tuba and Karen Fishwick, Euphonium
Set and Costume Designer – Alisa Kalyanova, Sound Designer – George Dennis, Lighting Designer – Robbie Butler, Casting Director – Anna Dawson
Liberty Black will play the titular function of Keli in her skilled theatre debut and Karen Fishwick performs her mom Jayne. They are joined by Phil McKee as band chief Brian, Billy Mack who performs 135-year-old ex-miner and city hero Willie Knox and Olivia Hemmati enjoying a number of roles.
Liberty Black is in her ultimate 12 months on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She performs and writes music and toured the UK with a band. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland credit embody: The Cosmonauts Last Message…, Uncle Vanya and Romeo and Juliet.
Karen Fishwick beforehand appeared in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre’s smash hit musical manufacturing which toured internationally and had a run in London’s West End. Theatre credit embody Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor (Royal Shakespeare Company) and 101 Dalmations (Regents Park Open Air Theatre). Karen’s display appearances embody Outlander (Sony/Starz) and Call the Midwife (BBC).
Billy Mack is an award-winning actor, beforehand showing in The Cheviot, The Stag and The Black, Black Oil and The Enemy (National Theatre of Scotland). Recent theatre and TV/movie credit embody Men Don’t Talk (Genesis Theatre Company), Only Child (Happy Tramp/BBC) and On Falling (Sixteen Films).
Phil McKee has labored extensively throughout theatre, movie and TV. Previous work with National Theatre on Scotland contains Mary Stuart and Dunsinane (National Theatre of Scotland/RSC/Royal Lyceum Theatre). Screen credit embody Clash of the Titans (Gorgon Films), The Rig (Amazon) and Deadwater Fell (Channel 4).
Olivia Hemmati educated at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School the place she was a finalist for the Carleton and Hobbs Award 2024. Olivia is making her skilled stage debut in KELI.
The manufacturing encompasses a brass ensemble of musicians led by Stacey Ghent on flugelhorn with Hanna Mbuya on tuba alongside Karen Fishwick on the euphonium.
Stacey Ghent is a tough of listening to actress and musician raised in South Shields. Stacey’s TV/display and theatre credit embody a task as a instructor of the deaf in Coronation Street (ITV); A Thousand Blows (Disney+); Brassed Off and Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (Octagon Bolton/Theatre by the Lake, Keswick/Stephen Joseph, Scarborough).
Tuba participant Hanna Mbuya is a member of Mercury-nominated 10-piece seed, Chineke! Orchestra and Nu Civilisation. Other collaborations have included these with artists
Anna Meredith, Jon Batiste and Soweto Kinch, along with appearances with horn sections alongside artists together with Solange, Joy Anonymous and Arlo Parks. Recent work in theatre contains Richard III (2024) & Hansel and Gretel (2024) at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Performing Musical Director for KELI, Louis Abbott, is a multi-instrumentalist and singer and the songwriter for the chamber-pop band Admiral Fallow. Recent theatre work contains his function as co-musical director on the award-winning A Giant on the Bridge (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024). As a musician, drummer, engineer and producer Louis has collaborated with a few of Scotland’s best musicians together with King Creosote, Camera Obscura and Eddi Reader.
Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (preview Sat 10 May); Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (previews Tues 13 to Wed 14 May) Thurs 15 to Sat 17 May; Dundee Rep Thurs 22 to Sat 24 May; Perth Theatre Wed 4 to Sat 7 June; Tramway, Glasgow Wed 11 to Sat 14 June 2025.
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