Signal Fires: Beyond Chinatown - A BESEA Guide to Manchester’s Past, Present & Future
31 Oct - 1 Nov 2020
A Yellow Earth Theatre, Yellow Earth Manchester Performers & Writers Academy, North West based British East & South East Asian Creatives partnership project, as part of Signal Fires.
A fire burns to signal that we’re here. To show our numbers and celebrate our stories. To pass the torch from the past to the present, looking towards the future. British East and South East Asian artists of the North West are collaborating with Yellow Earth Theatre to bring new perspectives to the streets of Manchester in a performance-led walking tour.
UK theatre touring companies join together in a time of crisis to return to the ‘original theatre’ – storytelling around fires – to celebrate our fundamental need as humans to gather, tell stories and make sense of the world around us, so that we can collectively reimagine the future.
This project will see new work written by: Houmi Miura, Chris Shapiro, Jasmine Chong, Mei Yuk Wong and Anna Nguyen, as well as an extract from In-Sook Chappell's 2018 play Mountains: The Dreams of Lily Kwok.
Finale devised by Yellow Earth Manchester Performers Academy:
Megan Arnold, Ivy Chui, Lesa Dang, Matthew Koon, Samuel Rossiter, Tina Wong.
Beyond Chinatown is produced by Grace Ng-Ralph, Anna Nguyen and Lian Wilkinson (Executive Producer, Yellow Earth Theatre), with dramaturgy by Naomi Sumner Chan and direction by Nickie Miles-Wildin and Kash Arshad.
Creative Team:
PROP MAKER: Paulina Voang
SOUND DESIGNER: Sam Leahy
SOUND RECORDIST: Matt Webster
SOUND COMPOSER (Finale): Vivian Thompson
STAGE MANAGERS: Caitlin Chatfield, Pip Hussey, Rebecca Taylor Sharman, Joe Colgan
FILM MAKERS: Rhys Fagan
DIGITAL EVENT CO-ORDINATOR: Adam Lenson
With special thanks to Helen and Lisa Tse, Sam Jamil, Zachary Chia, Claryn Chong and Slung Low.
The production is supported by The Lowry.
An Interview with Helen Tse, owner of Sweet Mandarin
WATCH
Signal Fires
Signal Fires is a nationwide project from the UK’s leading touring theatre companies presented at a time when it is not possible to physically tour. Inspired by one of the original forms of theatre – storytelling around a fire. Each company will self-produce an evening of work – a signal fire – at a different location across the UK in celebration of our fundamental need to tell stories, in order to help make sense of the world around us and reimagine the future. Presented outdoors in front of socially-distanced live audiences, or digitally for those who are shielding or currently unable to travel, every signal fire will incorporate a different form of physical fire, ranging from large-scale bonfires to candles, virtual fires to campfires, and BBQ’s to mobile phone lights. Working with hundreds of UK freelancers each company’s fire will be different from the last, spanning different disciplines reflecting the breadth and diversity of the touring circuit.
Companies taking part include 45North, Arcade, Beyond Face, Big Telly, Boundless, Eastern Angles, English Touring Theatre, Fen in association with Out of Joint, Fuel, Graeae, Headlong, Kestrel Theatre Company, Kneehigh, Macha Productions, National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, New Perspectives, Pentabus, Pilot, Paines Plough, SBC Theatre, Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Slung Low, Spare Tyre, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men and Yellow Earth Theatre with more to be announced.
The project will see new work from Mike Bartlett and Alissa Anne Jeun Yi (English Touring Theatre); Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, Chloe Moss, and Ella Carmen Greenhill (Headlong); Kiki Katese, Alice Oswald, Hema Palani, Will Power, Kim Scott and Sara Shaarawi (Fuel); Rob John (fEAST Theatre); Beth Flintoff (Proteus); Yolanda Mercy, Chinonyerem Odimba, Koko Brown, Lakesha Arie-Angelo and Lekhani Chirwa (45North); Houmi Miura, Chris Shapiro, Jasmine Chong, Mei Yuk Wong and Anna Nguyen (Yellow Earth); Simon Longman (Kestrel Theatre); Asma Elbadawi, Charley Miles, Zoe Cooper and Maureen Lennon (Pilot Theatre); Nassim Soleimanpour, Josh Merritt, Tricia Wey, Sky Yang, Samantha O'Rourke, Conor Hunt, Natasha Brown, Lauren Lopez and Steffi Igbinovia (Boundless); Maya Arad Yasur, Stephanie Street and Kimber Lee (Actors Touring Company) and Sarah Gonnet (Graeae).
Working with hundreds of UK freelancers, each company’s Signal Fire will be different from the last, spanning different disciplines and reflecting the breadth and diversity of the touring circuit. Some will be presented outdoors in front of socially-distanced live audiences, whilst others will be digital in format for those who are shielding or currently unable to travel.
Yellow Earth Theatre
Yellow Earth Theatre is Britain’s award-winning British East Asian (BESEA) theatre company, founded in 1995 and led by artistic director Kumiko Mendl. They produce new touring plays and readings across the year, as well as nurture BESEA talent through their Yellow Earth Academy acting and writing courses and Professional Writers Programme.
www.yellowearth.org @yellowearthuk
“Alongside our colleagues from touring theatre companies across the UK, we wanted to come together and highlight the precarious situation our industry currently finds itself in. Signal Fires is the result, acting not only as a warning, but also as a beacon of hope. Beyond Chinatown will give voice to the presence of British East and South East Asians in the city of Manchester past, present and future and serve as a reminder that to reimagine theatre means reimagining an inclusive one.”
— Kumiko Mendl, Artistic Director of Yellow Earth Theatre
Tour dates.
31 October – 1 November 2020
Live Walking Tour Performance times:
Saturday 31 October 2020: 11am, 2pm and 4.30pm
Digital Presentation via Zoom:
Sunday 1 November 2020: 5pm
Start Location: Sweet Mandarin, 19 Copperas Street, Manchester M4 1HS | Mountains, Moon Landing, Audio Walk Segment 1
Second Location: Emmeline Pankhurst Statue, St Peter’s Square, M2 3DN | Parallels, Audio Walk Segment 2
Third Location: Central Library & Town Hall Extension walkway, St Peter's Square, Manchester M2 5PD | Plastic China, 2047, Audio Walk Segment 3
End Location: The Peterloo Massacre Memorial, in front of Central Convention Centre, M2 3DL | Finale
To ensure the safety of audiences, artists and staff, Yellow Earth Theatre is operating in line with current government guidelines. COVID secure measures including strict hygiene protocols and social distancing will be in place throughout rehearsals and performances.
31 Oct, 11am
11am-1pm
Meet at: Sweet Mandarin Restaurant
19 Copperas Street, Manchester, M4 1HS
31 Oct, 2pm
Meet at: Sweet Mandarin Restaurant
19 Copperas Street, Manchester, M4 1HS
31 Oct, 4.30pm
Meet at: Sweet Mandarin Restaurant
19 Copperas Street, Manchester, M4 1HS
1 Nov, 5pm
Online on Zoom