Motherland

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