Identity, culture and the past – shaping us all
‘I know FA aboot Africa – thought it was just the one country and turns oot there’s 52 different ones! Don’t even know which one I’m in. Mad eh?’
The fact that there are 52 countries in Africa was just one of the things I learned from attending the rehearsal for Ignite’s new production, True Colours. Devised over a period of three months, True Colours is a comedy that isn’t afraid to tackle dark subjects. Centring on a group of tourists who are taken hostage in Africa, the play explores questions of identity, culture and the past experiences that shape us.
Eclectic characters, different agendas
Connor, aged fourteen, one of the company’s newest members plays Party Animal – a beer guzzling Scot who won the lottery, stuck a pin in a map and ended up in Africa. Along with Veronique, a sophisticated young woman who turned her back on her native Africa to embrace the Parisian lifestyle, and her cousin, there’s the group’s tour guide, Witness. We meet a wide range of different characters all with unique personalities and different agendas.
A true collaboration
Indeed, for a play with fifteen different characters, rehearsal goes very smoothly. Improvisations and script changes take place throughout (along with some interesting dance moves!) and it is clear that this is a truly collaborative company in which everyone’s opinion is valued.
The company (formerly known as Knightswood Youth Theatre) are now in their fifth year and bring together young asylum seekers, refugees and Scots. The success of their drive towards integration is plain to see – initially made up of people from the Knightswood area, attendees now come from Cambuslang and Maryhill to take part and you would be hard pressed to find a more fun, closely knit and dedicated group of young actors.
I’m sure they have great things ahead of them.
Make sure you catch them on the 23 June at 2.00pm or 7.45pm. Book your tickets online from the Tron Theatre
