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Motherland
“He was a boy. I loaned my son to them to do a job. I didn’t say you could keep him.”
Motherland is a powerful and moving dramatisation of conversations with wives, girlfriends
and mothers of military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. These north east women
share their incredibly moving and hard hitting stories with warmth, humour and candour.
A word from the Director
Motherland was conceived back in autumn 2007. We were interested in uncovering stories
from women whose experiences as wives, girlfriends and mothers and service personnel
seemed largely hidden. Over the next four months the cast and I interviewed women from all
over the north east. It’s been an intriguing, challenging and moving experience for all of us.
Some of the women and their families have escaped unscathed, some haven’t; such is the
lottery of war. The women we’ve worked with have let us into their homes and their lives and
we’re incredibly grateful for their generosity and enthusiasm. We view these women as
collaborators not subjects and the text of the play is comprised entirely of words spoken by
them. Almost twenty hours of interviews have been collected, collated and edited together to
create Motherland.
These stories are not just relevant to the women and communities of the north east but
resonate far beyond.
Steve Gilroy, writer & director
Reviews
“The pleasure of this piece is that, unlike a great deal of verbatim theatre which is issue-based
and tells you what you already know, this is entirely about the personal. As a result it is all the
more revealing, because it offers up not just a snapshot of the state of the nation, but more
importantly the state of the nation's hearts. Its immense power lies in its utter no-frills
ordinariness…Everyday life has never been quite as riveting as it is in this honest, beautifully
produced little show.”
Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
“…a beautifully acted, effectively wrought assemblage of testimonials from the wives, mothers,
sisters and lovers of British soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Spare and refreshingly
devoid of sentimentality, Mr. Gilroy’s play presents the women as whole human beings with
long histories and associations, not just as grief-ravaged victims of the war.”
Charles Isherwood The New York Times
Find out more…
If you are interested in finding out more information about Motherland including technical and
touring information and a marketing pack please contact:
Caroline Routh
The Empty Space
+44 (0)7710 745540
[email protected]
Motherland Reviews

“Combines a great sense of tragedy with a powerful sense of humour”

“Everyday life has never been quite as riveting as it is in this honest, beautifully produced little
show.”

“One of the highlights of the Fringe this year”

“A near perfect piece of verbatim theatre.”

“Best bet at this year’s festival”
Motherland Awards
Winner Winner Winner Fringe” 2008
Fringe First 2008
Best Ensemble
The Jack Tinker “Spirit of the
Production Shots
Charlotte Binns in Motherland
The cast of Motherland: L-R Rachel Adamson, Eleanor Clarke, Helen Embleton and
Charlotte Binns.
General Background Information
Live Theatre
When Live Theatre was founded in 1973 it was to create plays with a strong regional identity
for north east audiences and, in particular, for people who didn’t usually go to the theatre.
Over 35 years later, the company has a fantastic, well equipped theatre in which to perform its
plays, but the mission to create work which is challenging, popular and relevant to all, remains
as important as ever.
The company is now recognised as one of the country’s leading new writing theatres and has
gained a fantastic reputation for the way it finds, nurtures and develops regional talent.
In September 2007 Live Theatre reopened following a major £5.5 million redevelopment. The
new space combined with the theatre’s commitment to new writing has positioned Live
Theatre at the forefront of Newcastle’s emergence as one of the country’s most exciting
artistic and cultural regional capitals.
Recent successes include The Pitmen Painters, written by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) and directed
by Live Theatre’s Artistic Director Max Roberts, which won Best Play at this year’s TMA
Awards. The production will return to the National Theatre in January 2009 as well as being
translated into German for a run in Vienna in April 2009.
Live Theatre is grateful to the following organisations for revenue funding: Arts Council
England, Newcastle City Council, Coastal Productions and the BBC.
The Empty Space
The Empty Space was established in 2007 as a theatre development agency to support
performing artists in the north east of England. The company provides advice and practical
and creative help in many forms, whilst focusing its most in-depth support on work that
challenges the boundaries of traditional theatre.
Since its inception The Empty Space has worked with upwards of forty artists, premiering
three shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2008, building links with a large number of
promoters and producers and setting up a successful training and professional development
strand that has brought internationally acclaimed artists into the region to provide
masterclasses and workshops for a range of performers.
Although relatively new, the company has achieved much in its first eighteen months of
operation and is now recognised in the region as “a fantastic asset to the north east theatrical
landscape”.
The Empty Space is grateful to the following organisations for their funding support: Northern
Rock Foundation, Arts Council England and the European Regional Development Fund.
Technical information
Set
The set for Motherland is being redesigned for the tour but is expected to consist mainly of a
cyclorama at the back of the stage; the remainder of the set will be minimal. The playing area
(excluding the cyc) needs to be a minimum of 5m wide by 3m deep and clearance should
ideally be 3.5 – 4 m. No masking is required. The piece can be performed end-on or in the
thrust. The show includes projection.
Lighting
Lighting plan will be supplied ahead of time, subject to redesign of show.
Sound
PA and two mini-discs required at venue.
Get-in and out
The get-in can be done on the day of the performance and will require approximately 6 hours
(this figure will be reduced if a pre-rig is possible). Get-out will take place immediately after the
final performance and will take a maximum of two hours.
Crew
The show tours with two stage managers. Show staff (other than duty) will only be required in
venues where DSM cannot operate lighting, sound and AV from one position. Additional staff
over and above the contract should not be required for get-in/out.
It is strongly recommended that a site visit is arranged with our Production Manager to confirm
minimal technical requirements.