Life affirming musical drama shares the love
The cast of Glasgow Girls visit the drama’s real life location with writer Cora Bissett
In theatres the award-winning show has found enormous support from audiences everywhere, who relate to the Glasgow Girls mantra of “heartily welcoming all cultures to their country”.
Director and deviser of the show, Cora Bisset said: “When I first was drawn to the story of the Glasgow Girls in 2010, I had no idea that the matter of refugees and asylum seekers in the world would transpire to become the most urgent and prescient question of our times.
“I am of course saddened this is the case and that Western governments continue to have a huge impact on the various wars that ultimately displace hundreds of thousands of innocent people from their homes.
“Every time we bring the show back out, it feels as though it is speaking to a very particular moment in time. This time round, we live in precarious times, with the rise of neo-fascism across the world, evermore media-fuelled, anti-Islamic rhetoric and the frightening popularity of Trump’s crude divisive policies, walls and exclusion zones. Against this landscape, it brings compassion back to the people at the centre of these crises, and personalises their stories, so that we as an audience can connect our humanity with theirs.
“In 2010, I discovered Lindsay Hill’s brilliant documentary of the Glasgow Girls’ story ‘Tales from the Edge’ and got to know Lindsay and the whole gang.
“After watching the footage, I came to the surprising but exciting conclusion that this story should be told as a musical. It was the girls’ energy and can-do spirit that made me feel this story should be sung.
“It was a celebration of solidarity, of a group of teenage girls realising they could affect the world they live in, a celebration of a city I love deeply, and of those people in it.”
Glasgow Girls will be on at Perth Theatre from Wednesday, January 31 to Sunday, February 3. Age 12+.
Ticket prices vary from £23 to £12 with special prices for schools. Call 01738 621031 for more information.