British Shakespeare Association Biennial Conference 2005
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Programme : Panels - Seminars - Workshops
Workshop - Union City
Saturday 3rd September 2005, 11.30am-1.00pm,
Bedson Teaching Centre G37
Union City is a new multi-cultural youth theatre performance project with a cast of young people aged 15-20 from Middlesbrough. The inspiration for this edgy production came from rap lyrics penned by the young participants which were then scripted by writer Dave Kelman. Uniquely so, the writer lives in Australia, truly a global production made possible by the power of email. The setting is based around an inner city night club, with pul! sating rap tracks and club mixes used as the backdrop to a story looking at the tensions caused by racism and prejudice.
In Union City we meet the club bouncers, dealers, users, shot-callers and anti-heroes in the form of some great up and coming young rappers. Much is in common with the knights of a Shakespeare play. The soldiers of fortune fire out lyrics as if from machine guns. The shields and badges of their authority are displayed in ‘club nite’ battles.
The opening scene, outside the club, is full of soliloquy, with the characters thinking aloud as to what might have been in their lives. Powerful stuff, with some hard hitting observations on why their lives have gone wrong.
Then we meet Malachi, King Rapper. Despite the dominance and adoration commanded by Malachi you just know there is going to be a new kid on the block and someone in going to meet a downfall. His Boss, TJ, is a mixture of hard nosed business man and compassionate benefactor as he seeks to keep drugs out of his club, yet tightly controls the lives of those around him. Into this scene comes Skin, a rapper about to do battle with Malachi, and his friend, Bone. Through Skin & Bone we see two sides of the club scene, one is about the music, the other the more sinister and destructive side of drugs.
Malachi and Skin square up in the ring, just like Romeo and Tibult, this time the punches are verbal…
This is a tried and tested formula but with a ’Kick Ass’ attitude adding a fresh feel, backed with a pumping soundtrack. Behind this curtain of rhythmic sound is a solid story with real characters taken from the streets. Union City fuses ethnic cultures, through music, rap, dance, mixing hip-hop, street dance, and club. The story is cleverly woven together with the use of film art and some top rate projection, edited to seamlessly interact with the characters. Film and Theatre are at ease with each other in the production, which has been driven by the young people from Middlesbrough
Through Union City the performers tell a newly created and original story of love, hate, prejudice and rivalry, with a strong message that change, especially in attitudes and outlook is possible.
“You can say what you like – but you’re talkin’ to
a brick wall
You can push me down – but you’ll never see a kid fall
Would you lock people up – or see them freed instead
This is Union City where we all bleed red”
Tour Dates:
Middlesbrough Theatre; 26th September
The Arc, Stockton; 28th September
The Sage Gateshead; 11th October
