6 – 8 November, Traverse Theatre | Tickets Here
Arlington by Enda Walsh
Directed by Lucy Ireland and Jim Manganello
Scottish premiere
Touring 17 October – 8 November
6 – 8 November, Traverse Theatre | Tickets Here
Starring Aisha Goodman, Alex Austin, and Jack Anderson
Scottish dance-theatre company Shotput are delighted to announce the Scottish Premiere of Arlington by legendary contemporary playwright Enda Walsh. The show will tour across three venues this autumn – Cumbernauld Theatre; Tron Theatre, Glasgow; and Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Set in a dystopian world dominated by surveillance and control, Arlington follows Isla, a young woman held inside a mysterious high rise facility, waiting for her number to be called.
Telling stories of her dreams for the world outside, her only human interaction is with an anonymous man on the other side of the wall. Today there is a new listener. Their encounter sparks a fragile connection that defies the cold mechanisms of the world around them, and what starts as a seemingly small human interaction turns into something much more terrifying and sublime.
Arlington explores themes of love, freedom, and the enduring power of human connection in the face of oppression. This show about telling stories slyly activates our human impulse for narrative, questioning present realities and imagining new ones. Told in three acts, Arlington sees theatre and dance combine in a tale for two actors and one dancer.
Jim Manganello and Lucy Ireland said: “We are so thrilled that Shotput gets to have a go at this play with dance by Enda Walsh, a writer who we’ve been obsessed with for many years.
“Enda’s wicked sense of humour, his slant take on the world, and the space he opens for athleticism and dance feels like a perfect fit for all the things we love to do.
“Arlington is a hidden masterpiece and we’re delighted to be bringing it to Scottish audiences for the first time. Whatever you think this play is at the beginning – a dystopian satire, a dream, a love story – we promise that it will mutate and defy expectations over the course of its running time and as you think and talk about it after.
“Funny, difficult, terrifying, beautiful. We’re honoured that we get a go at capturing all that and sharing it.”
Known for their experimental investigations into the darker sides of contemporary life, this is Shotput’s first Scottish tour since they were awarded multi-year funding.
It is directed by the company’s Co-Artistic Directors Lucy Ireland and Jim Manganello, with a creative team made up of Shotput’s associate artists, Lighting Designer Emma Jones; Video Designer Rob Willoughby, and Scenic and Costume Designer Anna Yates, as well as Sound Designer Garry Boyle and Composer Cat Myers returning from Shotput’s maverick Totentanz.
Enda Walsh is one of the most renowned contemporary playwrights of our time. Winning multiple Fringe First awards throughout his career, his work has a long history in Scotland, with multiple productions at the Traverse Theatre, including Medicine, Disco Pigs, Ballyturk and more.
Shotput’s production of Arlington will mark its Scottish Premiere.
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Creative Team:
Co-directors | Lucy Ireland and Jim Manganello
Producer | Isy Sharman
Scenic and Costume Designer | Anna Yates
Video Designer | Rob Willoughby
Lighting Designer | Emma Jones
Sound Designer | Garry Boyle Composer | Cat Myers