HARRIS TWEED HEBRIDES SUPPORTS GAELIC PRESENCE IN NEW YORK THEATRE

Scottish Gaelic will be heard on the New York stage over the next few weeks and Harris Tweed Hebrides is there to lend its support.

The play “In My Father’s Words”, written by Justin Young for Dundee Repertory Company, has been selected to feature in Brits Off Broadway, an annual festival of new works for theatre selected from around the United Kingdom.

Harris Tweed Hebrides is sponsoring the press showing and reception at the 59E59 Theater tomorrow night (Saturday). The play will run until the end of June and Dundee Rep hope that it will be seen by as many as possible of New York’s Gaelic community.

The play is set on the shores of Lake Ontario where an elderly man is slipping into dementia. His carer realises that the language he is speaking is broken Scottish Gaelic. The cast consists of Angus Peter Campbell, Muireann Kelly and Garry Collins. The Gaelic writing is by Iain Finlay MacLeod.

Having read the play – among hundreds considered for the festival – one of the Brits Off Broadway organisers visited Lewis last summer to see it performed at An Lanntair in Stornoway. This resulted in an invitation to participate and Dundee Rep has been supported by Creative Scotland and Bord na Gaidhlig.

Philip Howard, joint artistic director of Dundee Rep, said: “We thank Harris Tweed Hebrides and all our supporters for helping us to tour home-grown theatre internationally.

“Performing at a festival which celebrates the best of new works from British theatre will significantly raise our profile and that of theatre in Scotland.” He particularly welcomed the opportunity to “showcase the Gaelic language to a wider audience”.

Brian Wilson, chairman of Harris Tweed Hebrides, said: “The links between New York and the Harris Tweed industry are exceptionally strong. It is great to see Lewis and Gaelic represented on a New York stage and we are delighted to provide support in a practical way.

“It is difficult for any production to gain attention among the vast array of offerings from New York theatres, so I hope that everyone with an affinity to Gaelic or to the Hebrides will make a particular effort to support this production”.

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