24 Hours of Peace at the Royal Exchange
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Right now acclaimed writer and director Neil Bartlett is travelling across the UK interviewing and recording some of the most remarkable people for a new durational work dedicated to the work of peace. 24 Hours of Peace is a twenty-four-hour-long performance taking place at the Royal Exchange Theatre on Remembrance Sunday.
a new durational work dedicated to the work of peace
Featuring a company of 48 performers, the iconic Royal Exchange building will keep its doors open for the full twenty-four-hour duration of this free one-off event. The company – a vibrant blend of different voices -will feature members from Greater Manchester’s diverse communities alongside professional performers.
The interviewing process is currently underway and Bartlett has already met with and recorded the voices of some exceptional people living in the UK. Once all of the interviews have been conducted and recorded the transcripts will be edited into a single marathon monologue, which will be delivered by the relay-team of performers.
The company will feature members from Greater Manchester’s diverse communities alongside professional performers
All of the people who have contributed to this incredible artwork have all committed to working for peace. From an 84-year-old Greenham Common veteran to a young volunteer from a Syrian refugee camp; from an imam to a trans activist; from an IRA bomb survivor to an ex-sniper who served in Afghanistan. This impressive performance project aims to explore what ‘peace’ means to a contemporary society.
Of the project, Bartlett said: “Every year, the two-minute silence on Remembrance Sunday asks us all to look back, but it also asks us to look forward. Last year, as the amazing moment of the silence ended, I found myself wondering about what the word ‘peace’ that is so often mentioned on the day really means to us all these days. In particular, I started wondering about all the people who go to work every morning to try and turn that powerful little word into some kind of daily reality. So, what I’m trying to do with this performance is to make a space in which some of those very special peoples’ voices can be heard.”
The performance, which is free to attend, will also be streamed online as a live twenty-four-hour broadcast.
