News Story
Northern Irish theatre director, writer and producer Tom Rowntree Finlay and Minya based theatre director Bishoy Adel have been developing a new bilingual theatre piece about how the leaders of the British and Ottoman Empires responded to the Irish Famine in 1845.
The play explores the historic relationship between Britain, Egypt and Ireland, raising questions about the use and abuse of power and control. The bilingual script takes the form of a set of letters sent between Sultan Abdulmejid and Queen Victoria to tell the story of a historic incident when Abdulmejid sent aid to the people of Ireland despite Victoria’s request to world leaders that this should not be done.
As the artists wrap up rehearsals and filming, Tom reflects on the project, constructing the script, creating the balance between historical documentary and contemporary theatre, and the experience of collaborating remotely between different countries, languages and ways of working.
Blight has been supported by the new conversations UK-Egypt, creative partnerships programme, funded by caravan at Farnham Maltings and Orient Productions, with support from the British Council Egypt, Arts Council England, and the Fonds de Soutien aux Arts Arabes (FSAA).
How did the collaboration and the idea for the project come about?
We met in 2017 as part of the Tandem Shaml programme. We then developed our first collaboration project in Belfast and Minya creating a joint theatre festival. In 2018 we then created a joint production of Antony and Cleopatra which we staged on a barge on the Nile in Minya.
When researching our initial festival in 2017 we came across the story of Queen Victoria and Sultan Abdulmajeid and were really interested in how it linked Northern Ireland and Egypt. We had marked it out as a future collaboration project and had planned to work on it in 2020, however Covid 19 put a pause on the project. The brief for the New Conversations programme allowed us to reignite our idea and develop it into a collaborative film production, giving the project a whole new spin.
What have you found surprising or interesting from the research and bi-lingual script development phase of the project?
The most interesting thing for me has been balancing the historical context of the play with the need to ensure we entertain the audience. As I developed the script for the project, with help and challenge from Beshoy, I have been able to ensure that we aren’t just creating a history documentary. Our different approaches and style have enabled me to find the true heart of the story.
As the project has grown as often happens once you put Beshoy and I in a room (virtual or otherwise) we have also found that we needed to get other artists from Belfast and Minya on board with different expertise - film making, choreography, acting and translation all of whom have helped us shape and develop the project in new and innovative way.
What have been the challenges and the highlights of this collaboration for you and what are you learning from the remote exchange?
When constructing the script there have been so many challenges… how to find the heart, how to make the theatre essence of the production transfer onto screen, how to represent our different cultures both historically and now, and how to ensure each of the artists feel they can impact and evolve the piece.
Finding answers to all of these questions meant the project was incredibly challenging and rewarding. I find working with Beshoy such a joy and an inspiration as he isn’t afraid to ask and pushes me out of my comfort zone to make the project magic. He also had such a wonderful way of embracing all the artists involved and bringing the best from them.
Working remotely can be challenging and also much more intense than working in person. Also, when collaborating internationally, so much of the understanding comes from reading body language. This is much harder to read remotely. However, the more you do it and the more experience you get, the better you become at reading and understanding each other.
Can you share about the online production filming process and are there any differences between the filming taking place in Minya compared to in Belfast?
What a process. This has been so interesting, different, challenging. And at times frustrating especially when the internet connection drops at an integral moment and you can’t pick it up until 24 hours later.
However, the universal language of theatre and film making has meant that as we worked across languages, across art forms, across computer screens and via pictures and short videos we have somehow been able to understand each other and have a film which once edited, will hopefully come together in a seamless expression of both our cultures and styles.
The funniest moment of the collaboration was as we sat in a Zoom meeting with our videographers (one spoke only Arabic, one only English) myself and Beshoy trying to facilitate the meeting to ensure the filming process would enable us to create one film. The guys suddenly started talking in their unique language that neither myself or Beshoy understood, but they seemed to understand every word of aperture speed and lens and ISO, their own technical language. Myself and Beshoy sat listening and laughing.
You both have experience working with your local arts communities and marginalised communities. What have you learnt from each other and from the cultural practices in each other's countries in this respect?
Ultimately from all of my interactions with Beshoy and Minya I have learnt that people are people. No matter where they are in the world they love to tell, share and explore their experiences and stories. As theatre makers both myself and Beshoy share the same love of storytelling. Using our art as a vehicle to enable people to have a voice, to tell their stories and share their lives and experiences. Whether in Belfast or Minya I have found that when people are given the opportunity to do this, they embrace it and you learn so much from them and about them.
I also must say I love the humour and fun that everyone I’ve had the pleasure of working with in Egypt brings to our project. It has been an inspiration and brings out the best from me creatively.
What are your plans on completion of the project?
We want to collaborate again. We would love to be able to do it in person again. Perhaps creating a live theatre production of Blight.
The great thing about this project though is that it has shown us that we don’t always need to travel to collaborate and that we can now develop our artistic connection both virtually and in person in the future. At times Covid felt like it might be the end of our partnership. This project has reawakened and rejuvenated it. I can‘t wait to make magic again.
Though in the meantime I can’t wait for people to see the film we have made (once it is completed), as what we have achieved so far looks and sounds amazing.
