A new play inspired by Ferguslie and its community is getting set for a country-wide tour as it seeks to change attitudes around neighbourhoods painted in a bad light by poverty statistics.
Other Side of the River will bring theatre, food, song, bingo and karaoke to various locations in Scotland over the next couple of months.
Originally commissioned as part of Paisley’s City of Culture bid in 2021, the play focuses on a working class community determined to show that they are more than just negative statistics covered in media reports.
The story concerns driven but lonely city journalist, Beth, who is desperate to get a juicy article published so she can be noticed by her boss, her arch-rival Suzy McIntyre and to hear her sick Dad say he is proud of her before he passes away.
Beth arrives in a small Scottish town called Ailm – described as one of the worst towns to live in by the media – in the hope she will find a positive story to tell.
Other Side of the River is brought to audiences by In Motion Theatre and is written and directed by Lisa Nicoll and the characters in the play are the product of Lisa and In Motion’s time working with the Ferguslie Park community in Paisley, the character of Andy is based on local 61-year-old taxi driver (and writer) Patrick Kidd who recently published a short-story collection about life growing up in Ferguslie.
Another individual from the area whose influence is felt in the play is Terry McTernan of the Darkwood Crew, a group of residents whose aim is to help Ferguslie flourish, providing support for the community around food insecurity, fuel poverty, isolation and loneliness, mental health and the local environment.
Terry worked closely with In Motion on the project, he said: “Working in partnership with In Motion Theatre Company has really helped in the personal and collective empowerment of local people, helping change the often negative narrative about Ferguslie Park.
“Against a backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis and a climate change emergency, many positive lessons can be learned from a vibrant, active, self aware, thrifty and more importantly caring community like ours.
“The play captures all of the nuances associated with the positive cultural aspects of Ferguslie Park and is a fitting next step in our regenerational journey.”
The tour begins on Friday, April 14 at the Tannahill Centre in Paisley before travelling to Glasgow, Dundee, Perth, and Buckie among other locations.
As well as the performances of the play a series of cooking workshops to explore ways of cooking using food waste and eating healthily on a budget will be held in each of the locations in which the tour travels to.
On the day of the show, workshop participants will prepare a meal for audience members, who will sit down to eat and watch the play unfold in front of them.
The theatre company has also teamed up with local secondary schools with journalism workshops being delivered to pupils by local journalists ahead of each tour stop off.
Playwright, producer and director Lisa Nicoll said: “I have been attending community lunches and going to warm spaces across Scotland to get to know folk at the venues and towns we’re visiting.
“There is a real sense of universality in the play’s themes in how the communities across Scotland connect to both Ferguslie Park and the play.
“There’s also a strong sense of gathering in these towns and that has always been the aim of the play – it’s not just a theatre show but an experience with bingo, food and song, three things in addition to theatre that can bring us together. There is no doubt that there are struggles and obstacles in life and in communities but it is about the attitude and resilience communities have to overcome these and how people pull together and make use of what they have.
“This is especially reflective with the current cost of living crisis and the things that Ferguslie Park are doing to help people in terms of food, clothing, activities and warm spaces.”
Other Side of the River is funded by Future Paisley, the cultural regeneration, partnership programme which uses the power of arts, heritage and culture to impact social and economic change.
Future Paisley is funded by Renfrewshire Council and delivered by OneRen.
Head of marketing and communications at Renfrewshire Council and Future Paisley lead, Louisa Mahon, said: “We know that negative statistics about a place rarely capture the true story and experiences of the communities that live there. We want to help change the narrative and perceptions of Ferguslie Park and communities like it across the country.
“Projects like this play a valuable role in creating an increased sense of civic pride and help to improve the wellbeing of the communities who take part.”
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