Call out for sounds of Wearside's past
People from Sunderland are being asked to delve into their audio archives for a new show, described as a ‘musical love story for Sunderland’... which couldn’t be timed better given the lovely Music City status news.
Writer Stewart Pringle is putting together the narrative for Public Record - a show developed through a collaboration between the National Theatre, Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire to celebrate the city’s musical heritage.
“There’s a moment in the show when the narrator reveals we’ve been trying to find the earliest sound recording of Sunderland – so I’m asking the people of Sunderland to send in their audio clips from the 1980s, 1970s, 1960s or even before,” explained Stewart.
“The clips could be of a Christmas Day, a birthday celebration, a party or any other event – large or small. We’re hoping as many people as possible will send us clips, and we’ll try to incorporate as many of them into this section of the show.
“The idea is that the clips will create a time machine, a ‘Tardis moment’ when the clips take the audience back to a specific place at a specific time. Public Record is a celebration of Sunderland, and the clips are moments captured in time in the city.”
More than 100 community performers will work alongside professional musicians and dancers for Public Record, which will transform The Fire Station into a recording studio to create a new album, ‘a portrait of the city through its people’.
Featuring original music and songs from Ross Millard (The Futureheads guitarist and singer) the production is split into 13 ‘tracks’ each celebrating an element of Sunderland and its long and proud musical heritage.
Helen Green, Sunderland Culture’s Head of Performance, explained: “Public Record is an extraordinary tribute – a musical love story for Sunderland. Our audiences will enjoy a unique, exciting, emotional piece of theatre that will leave them feeling very proud of our city, and its newly-acquired status as a Music City.
“The audio clips will be part of a key scene in the show, and we hope Wearsiders can dig out theirold clips and send them in to us – they may well feature in Public Record.”
If you think you’ve got an audio clip that fits the bill, send it, in any digital format, to helen.green@sunderlandculture.org.uk
Part of National Theatre Public Acts, a nationwide programme creating extraordinary acts of theatre and community, there will be four performances of Public Record at The Fire Station, from April 25 to 27. Tickets are on sale from the website.