JENNA Watt takes Faslane, her one-woman 2016 Fringe hit, to the Theatre Royal, Dumfries, on Monday, before the play heads off on a six-date tour of England.
With members of Watt’s family employed at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, 40 miles outside Glasgow, Faslane has always featured in her life. As a child, the base seemed “like a distant cousin I’d heard of but hadn’t met yet”, and as she got older, friends would protest at the gates.
This clash spurred Watt on to find out more about the Scottish home of the UK’s nuclear arsenal, and Faslane the play is more of an even-handed exploration of the conversations around deterrence, employment and Trident renewal than an attempt to cheerlead for a particular view.
As well as interviews with Peace Camp activists, Watt’s extensive research also took in parliamentary debates on the issues and the views of those who depend on the missile program for their livelihoods – often following redundancy from Clyde shipyards.
Sparsely staged, and with an immersive sound design by Kim Moore, the Fringe First-winning play has new relevance in 2018, Watt tells The National. She says: “Last year, while touring, we found that Faslane and Trident have had an impact on people from all four corners of Scotland, not just those living within proximity of the base.”
Watt will soon direct Tetra Decathlon, a new play telling the true story of Scottish athlete Lauren Hendry which premieres in August as part of Festival 2018, a cultural programme coinciding with the European Championships in Glasgow.
Before then, Watt takes Faslane to places where people may be less familiar with the name and what it stands for. The English dates come just a couple of weeks after Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced £2.5 billion for nuclear-armed submarine building projects and Watt says she expects different responses from audiences there to those in Scotland.
“It’s great to have the opportunity to take Faslane on tour again to more audiences in Scotland but also those in southern England who may not necessarily know what or where Faslane is,” she says. “With this year seeing the 50th and 60th anniversaries of Faslane and CND respectively, it’s important that we create opportunities for conversation on a national level and really interrogate what our relationship is to Trident.”
May 28, Theatre Royal, Dumfries, 7.30pm, £12, £10 concs. www.theatreroyaldumfries.co.uk
Faslane goes on to tour: Leicester (May 29), Folkstone (May 30), Havant (May 31), Bordon (Jun 1), Bristol (Jun 2) and Exeter (Jun 5). www.jennawatt.co.uk www.weareshowroom.co.uk @TheJennaWatt
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