FINDING SEAGLASS ON BBC RADIO 4

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23 Jun 2023

News Story

We are delighted to share the news that Finding Seaglass by our Associate Artist Hannah Lavery will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 03 July at 2.15pm.

Finding Seaglass, co-produced by Almost Tangible and National Theatre of Scotland for BBC Radio 4, is an autobiographical, poetic spoken word production from writer and performer Hannah Lavery, adapted from the 2018 stage production The Drift.

It offers a searingly honest portrayal of growing up, and raising children, mixed-race in Scotland. A beautiful story of love, loss, bereavement and hope, Hannah’s story challenges audiences to see Scottish history and our public memory in a different light.

Following the broadcast, it will be available on BBC Sounds until 02 August.

Finding Seaglass is written by Hannah Lavery, directed by Niloo-Far Khan with music and sound design by Pippa Murphy.

   This spoken word production is read by Hannah Lavery with ensemble voices by Tam Dean Burn, Irene MacDougall, Beth Marshall, Jim Monaghan, Clare Perkins, and Tom Vanson.

Writer and performer Hannah Lavery said

"I didn’t do the play to make a political point, It’s about my family history, and it’s about how racism plays out, and how painful it is when you’re told you don’t belong. It’s also a Scottish play about a daughter who’s lost her father, who just happens to be of colour. When you lose a parent, your world shifts. The play is about sharing that.”

How do you find your authenticity in a moment which is asking you to find your "tribe", demanding that you constantly choose your side. How do you find your humanity, your own voice, when you're being pushed to find safety in numbers? Finding Seaglass explores my intergenerational trauma - in particular, the legacy of colonialism and racism, the reality of living through last years of political and cultural shifts and shocks, and how I have found a way to healing and hope.”

BBC Radio 4’s Commissioning Editor for Drama and Fiction, Alison Hindell, said:

I’m delighted to share this timely and moving poetic drama with Radio 4 listeners as part of a series of dramas from new production talents. The language and story of the play are personal to Hannah but her experiences will be recognisable to a wide audience who I hope will appreciate the sincerity and beauty of her voice.’  

Acclaim for the original theatrical production:  

"Hannah Lavery's wonderful performance-poetry monologue The Drift... asks the most challenging questions of the western world - and in this case of Scotland - about our real views on race and belonging.”The Scotsman

“Few works of Scottish theatre confront the hypocrisies of Scottish nationalism and identity so bluntly, and so well.” The List

   Join the conversation: #FindingSeaglass 

Finding Seaglass will air on BBC Radio 4 on 03 July 2023  

Full information on cast and creatives here