From page to stage
Plus Theatre Royal at Three Sheets, we review Boba Tigers, our weekly events guide, news in brief, and more
A Medway writer and a Medway illustrator’s book about a genocide in Bosnia has come full circle, with a play based on the book coming to London next month. We’ve been talking to the author about the adaptation and how the story remains horrifyingly relevant. Further down, we hear about Medway indie stalwarts Theatre Royal and Three Sheets to the Wind, review Boba Tigers in Rochester, have our weekly events guide, news in brief, and more.
From page to stage
Flowers of Srebrenica is a new play that is coming to London next week, based on the book by Medway’s Aidan Hehir and David Frankum. We spoke with Aidan, an academic at the University of Westminster, whose research interests include humanitarian intervention, about the story behind the book, how it became a play, and what parallels the genocide in Bosnia has with today…
The story is based on a journey that Aidan made from Sarajevo to the memorial site at Srebrenica. In 1995, there was a genocide at Srebrenica, when Bosnian Serbs killed over 8,000 Muslims during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. On the journey, Aidan met Mustafa, a tour guide. “I thought I was booking onto a bus going there, but it was just me and him in the car together, and he was and still is an extremely interesting, thoughtful, wonderfully kind, reflective, intelligent man.”
Mustafa had fought in the war and still lives in Sarajevo today, “very much a man that wanted to see the past remembered but didn't want anybody in Bosnia to feel hatred towards other ethnic groups.” Spending the day with Mustafa was powerful for Aidan. “I've been across the Balkans and across Europe for the best part of 20 years now, sites where mass atrocity crimes happen. It wasn't that I happened to see something for the first time ever. There was just something particularly powerful about Srebrenica.”
Aidan admits he has become jaded by atrocities. “It wasn't so much I was shocked. It was more moved by the power of what happened there.” Srebrenica today is in the eastern part of Bosnia, but overwhelmingly populated by Serbs. “The Serbs deny that the genocide took place. You have a memorial centre to a genocide, in the midst of a people who don't believe that that genocide took place.”
The book is a literal telling of the story of that day. “Towards the end and at certain parts in it, I changed the chronology. There is more of a license taken with the things that I say happened. In the end it's more abstract.” The illustrations from David Frankum are an essential part of the book. “Dave was able to capture moments, themes and ideas on the page in a way that I couldn't.” The book is published simultaneously in Albanian and English. More recently, it has been translated into Bosnian.
Aidan and David have given a number of talks remembering Srebrenica and met survivors from the genocide. “It's really taken on a new life, and it's been wonderful to work with them on various different projects, to see artistic reflections on this is wonderful. The Bosnian community in the UK is vibrant, extremely talented, and what they've done is fascinating. They've tried to keep the memory of Srebrenica alive, but also, there's no point in remembering Srebrenica and forgetting Gaza.”
Aidan tells me about an interview he did with somebody from Human Rights Watch. “He said something that always stuck with me. ‘The UN is very good at commemorating genocides. It's not good at stopping them.’ The politicians and the people today who say, ‘We should have done more, never again.’ This was the 30th anniversary this year. The same bastards who are helping to slaughter Palestinians, and you can quote me on that if you want.”
The publishing house in Kosovo also runs a theatre company called Qendra Multimedia. Every year, they put on a theatre showcase featuring plays from all over the region and invite playwrights from around Europe to come and see what Kosovo has to offer. Aidan’s book was given to people who attended, and that is how it came to the attention of Legal Aliens Theatre. They liked the book and contacted Aidan to develop it into a play.
“How were they going to turn it into a play? Two men sitting on the fucking chairs on the stage for two hours didn't seem to me to make any sense.” Legal Alien Theatre, however, had ideas, and they ran with it, extensively workshopping with a group of actors, travelling around Bosnia and speaking with survivors of the genocide. “They came up with this brilliant idea of having the play as a means to tell a more general story.”
Whilst the play is still based on the book, they also have a chorus of women from different countries who have experienced terrible wars. “One is from Bosnia, one is from Ukraine, and the third is from Rwanda.” They provide a commentary on what is happening and talk about conflicts more generally, and how the world can seem so callous and disinterested in the plight of people. “That then meant that it was more than just two men. You have these women who are constantly interacting. I'm not going to give too much away obviously.”
Directed by Lara Parmiani, Aidan is very complimentary about the work that she did to turn the book into a play, bringing together the cast and talented crew. “These incredible people involved who came up with this beautiful score and the set design is extraordinary.” The play includes an innovative use of projections. “It's become something now that's much more than just a book. It's a story that I think would hopefully resonate beyond just people who are interested in the Balkans or Bosnia.”
Aidan notes that the play is “unfortunately apt at the moment,” knowing that somebody in 30 years would be putting on a play about Gaza. “And all the old men would be going, ‘I still remember Gaza’ and they did fuck all.” For Aidan, it is about the moral disinterestedness that people can display. Having been performed in Bosnia and Sarajevo, the play is coming to London. Starting on 14 October it will be performed for five nights at the Jacksons Lane Theatre.
There are currently no plans for the play to be performed in Medway or Aidan’s hometown of Limerick. “It's so expensive to put on. I think that's part of the problem. I'd love it to come to Limerick. My family are always saying, ‘Are you going to bring it over to Ireland at all?’ It's quite a big production and they've only been able to do this tour because of a grant.”
Tickets are available for £15 to Flowers of Srebrenica at the Jacksons Lane Theatre, from 14-18 October. The Flowers of Srebrenica book is available from Medwayish, with all profits going to Remembering Srebrenica, a UK-based charity.
In brief
🎨 Arches Local has unveiled their eighth mural in the Luton area. The new mural is on the side of a four-storey block of flats and celebrates local campaigner, Erica Stuart, who led work to create the Luton Millennium Green.
🚜 J Myatt & Co, a Cliffe farm, is featured in a new advert by M&S. In it, chef Tom Kerridge visits the farm to examine their plums.
✈️ Over 57,000 people visited Rochester Cathedral during August, a new record. The figures line up with the exhibition of the Shorts Floatplane and a range of free activities.
Review: Theatre Royal and The Sleepers at Three Sheets to the Wind
by Moira Mehaffey
Strange bedfellows at first glance, these two bands work surprisingly well as a double header, as The Sleepers’ fuzzy noise opens the show, giving way to the melodic pop of Theatre Royal as the late summer sun descends.
The Sleepers are fast emerging as one of the most captivating live bands around. Consistently delivering high-energy psych-garage-trash of a markedly unshowy intensity. Comparisons to the OSees spring to mind, but with less ferocity and more inventiveness to their shows. Chris Moon’s distorted vocals are underpinned by the technical precision of Darrell Hawkins’ bass and James Drew’s drums. Chris switches between 6 and 12-string guitars with facility, adding a crazed surf lilt at times and deliberate repetitious grind at others. There are extended instrumental passages which are never meandering or aimless. These are musicians entirely in control of their sound. It’s loud, but far from an aggressive sonic assault, truly invigorating and never enervating. Their tremendously enjoyable performance gives Theatre Royal a hard act to follow.
The headliners are completely at home on the stage of the Three Sheets, drawing a crowd of loyal supporters yet also seeming to win over new fans tonight. An established act, on their home turf, they play confidently and comfortably together, but not complacently. Tracks from the recent album ‘A Change of Weather’ are prevalent in the set, alongside favourites from earlier releases. Endearingly garrulous frontman Oliver Burgess helpfully provides a list of all the things that ‘Welsh Coastal Towns’ is about: “Hands, fathers, Wales, being bored in traffic jams,” the earnest sentiment of the song being offset by the joyful combination of Robbie Wilkinson’s soaring riff and the judicious elevation of just the right amount of soulful saxophone from Chris Kingman. Robbie gets to take over lead vocals on ‘Angelina,’ a shift in pace that chimes nicely with the sliding country twang of his guitar. Elsewhere, he switches things up with a keener, more freewheeling post-punk edge, finding space on stage to throw shapes which cement his status as Medway’s grooviest Physicist.
A provisionally titled new song is debuted - a work in progress for sure - but the audience is affectionately receptive, just as they enthusiastically react to the onstage announcement that Theatre Royal will support Space in a show at the same venue next summer. As the set closes, ‘Port Bou’ showcases the combined strengths of the band - Brendan displays a gorgeous proficiency on bass, Jon keeps the beat tight, in patterns that seem timeless, as if they have always been there, and the vocals combine to an overall effect of ebullient charm. An encore of ‘If You Could Stand Up (You’d Walk Away)’ has the crowd not just standing, but dancing with Oliver launching himself into their midst, then on to a table and, for a few heart-stopping seconds, flailingly into midair, before making a safe showbiz landing.
A welcoming venue, thoroughly dedicated to supporting established and emerging local talent, full of satisfied and entertained customers. An ideal way to enjoy a late summer evening.
Out to Lunch: Boba Tigers in Rochester
For this week’s takeaway lunch, instead of ordering in, I went to them. Boba Tigers is on Rochester High Street, within walking distance of the train station, and has a seating area just next door. Boba Tigers has two doors and an easily missed sign telling which way you should enter. At least that’s my excuse.
Boba Tigers primarily serves sushi and bubble tea. Bubble tea, for those of you who haven’t had the opportunity, is essentially iced tea served with a large straw, because at the bottom of the tea are a lot of choking hazards waiting for you to foolishly take a drink.
The menu is really quite large for what is essentially two people in a small kitchen, one on food and one on drink. I ordered some Black Pepper Chicken, mixed with bell peppers and vegetables, Caramel Chicken Bao Buns and Sushi Rice, with a Mango Passion Delight Swiss Creamy Frappe. And breathe.
The crispy chicken in black pepper sauce was frankly delicious. The sushi rice, aka sticky rice, was fine, soaked up the black pepper sauce well, and became a solid accompaniment. The bao buns became a mess, with the salad under the chicken, meaning after you had eaten the chicken, you had a sticky-sweet salad bun. Nice if you like that sort of thing. The bubble tea I ordered at ’50 sugar.’ I didn’t really know what that meant. It means it was sweet. I almost fell into a diabetic coma just thinking what 100 sugar would be like.
Boba Tigers is an expensive takeaway option, but it has quality to back it up. Update your life insurance and get some bubble tea.
Events this week
🌙 Wed 17 Sep - The History of Witchcraft and Women // Talk by lecturer Jennifer Farrell using feminist approaches to the past to explore medieval changes in ideas about magic, gender, and heresy. Glassbox Theatre, Gillingham. Tickets £12.
🎤 Thu 18 Sep - Big Trouble with Ellora Sutton and Susannah Dickey // Medway’s premier poetry night, with open mic and headline performances. 12 Degrees Rams Micropub, Rochester. Tickets £7.
📷 18 Sep - 1 Oct - Medway ‘77 // Exhibition of photos in and around Rochester and Chatham from 1977. Halpern Gallery, Chatham. Free.
More Authority
For our midweek edition, our outdoor correspondent Stuart Bourne wrote about autumn arriving early and how we probably need to get used to this sort of thing, a lack of allotments in Medway, why Capstone Farm Country Park is the perfect autumn park, and lots more.
Autumn arrives early
A few months ago, I wrote in my previous article that spring is arriving earlier each year, and we gardeners need to learn to adapt to it. Well, it seems that this chaotic year continues to unsettle the traditional seasonal patterns, as autumn has now arrived early, too.
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