THEATRE TO CAST STEELWORKERS IN PLAY INSPIRED BY PORT TALBOT SITE
THEY may be more at home with blast furnaces than box offices, but 20 Welsh steelworkers are being sought to join the cast of a play. The National Theatre of Wales (NTW) want to cast a chorus for a play called We’re Still Here, inspired by the story of Port Talbot steelworks, which will be performed in the town.
Twenty steelworkers will join the production – set to debut in a Port Talbot warehouse in September – as a community chorus.
According to NTW these performers will “be essential to the telling of the story and will take part in numerous scenes including performing, drumming and physical tasks”.
The production comes six years after NTW staged The Passion, starring Hollywood star Michael Sheen, in Port Talbot, over the Easter weekend in 2011.
Inspired by conversations with steelworkers, union members and the wider community, We’re Still Here will be the first theatrical response to the recent uncertainty over the future of the Port Talbot plant, which employs 4,000 people and is Britain’s biggest.
In March 2016 owners Tata Steel announced plans to sell its entire UK operation, which could have also affected thousands of workers at four other Welsh plants and sites in Rotherham and Corby.
But the future of the steelworks was subsequently guaranteed for at least five years.
NTW artistic director Kully Thiarai said: “The community of Port Talbot embraced us wholeheartedly and participated fully in the extraordinary event that was The Passion.
“We are delighted to be returning to the town this year, with a brand new production tackling a hugely impor- tant local, national and global issue, as told to us by that community.”
Regarding the 20 steelworkers in the chorus she said that no experience in performance was required.
“The directors of the show are looking for steelworkers who have been or are working in the steelworks. We want about 20.
“We are very used to working with people who have never worked in the industry before.
“It is far more about commitment, passion and wanting to be involved than experience.”
According to Ms Thiarai, part of the inspiration for the play is to tell stories of real people.
“I think we want to tell stories that are contemporary and current in Wales.
“This community of steelworkers is the last bastion of heavy industry.
“We have a strong relationship from having done The Passion before. They are very excited and we are thrilled to be returning.
“We have been talking to a lot of the steelworkers as part of the research phase.
“We are interested in what working-class heroes there say.
“It is so contemporary and the story is still unfolding.”
The production will be run with the help of theatre company Common Wealth and a spokesman said: “We were drawn to Port Talbot because of the powerful voices that were coming out of the recent Save Our Steel campaign.
“Watching the campaign unfold and the community rally together gave us hope in a time where we don’t usually see people stand together for what they believe in.
“For us, seeing working-class leaders organise and inspire communities felt so necessary in a time when working-class people are often marginalised from public debate.
“Interviewing steelworkers and union leaders has taught us so much about looking after each other, dignity, and the importance of saying ‘no’.
“We see this production as an opportunity to champion and share the wisdom from the Save Our Steel Campaign, for us to remember who we are, where we come from and what we can be.”
To sign up or for more information contact Nicole on 07476595106 or email nicolemoran@nationaltheatrewales.org. the