World Premiere of CIARA Reunites Top Scottish Talent at Traverse

CIARA, a spellbinding new play by acclaimed playwright David Harrower (Blackbird, Knives in Hens), reunites one of Scotland's greatest writers with one of our finest actresses, Blythe Duff. The two recently collaborated on Good With People, a Traverse Theatre Company production which toured to New York City to five star rave reviews after sell-out performances in Edinburgh in 2012.

CIARA, which will receive its World Premiere this August, is a co-production with Duff's company Datum Point Productions, and is directed by award winning Traverse Artistic Director Orla O'Loughlin, designed by Anthony Lamble, with lighting and sound by Philip Gladwell and Daniel Padden, (2 - 25 Aug 2013).

Orla O'Loughlin, Artistic Director comments, "We are delighted to welcome back the award-winning playwright David Harrower with the World Premiere of CIARA, our co-production with Datum Point. CIARA is a truly extraordinary play, written for and performed by one of Scotland's leading actresses, Blythe Duff. I'm thrilled to direct this new work which not only offers audiences another collaboration from two of the most compelling talents around in Scotland today, it also presents an epic, twisted love song to Glasgow itself. "

Ciara's father Mick, kept her as his treasure. His hidden treasure. He wanted his only daughter shielded from what he did. Now Mick is dead and his legacy, so bound up in the landscape of Glasgow, that infamous mean city, must be faced.

As Ciara builds her own empire with an art gallery, her world starts to shake. Marked by the deep contradictions of her father, the art world and the city that made them all, Ciara stands on a threshold. By facing the past, her future blows wide open. CIARA explores a world by turns, terrifying and exhilarating. An epic story for our times.

Writer David Harrower comments, "I've written a play about Glasgow and its mythic, proud, scarred history. I've written a woman at the centre of it; silent witness to a changing cityscape finally telling it as she sees it. Blythe was always that woman - the face I saw as I brought Ciara into being, the voice I heard whispering her cradled secrets.

The final piece was the Traverse. Ah, what to say...? Vital, enervating, electric - a theatre in its 50th year to still shout and scream about. To be back here - an honour indeed."

Blythe Duff, actress and creative director of Datum Point said, "We are delighted to join forces with The Traverse to bring David Harrowers' burningly beautiful CIARA to this year's Festival. Having had a wonderful partnership with The Traverse on David's recent 'Brits Off Broadway' hit GOOD WITH PEOPLE, Datum Point is looking forward to being at the heart of the Festival during this The Traverse's 50th year. For myself, it also marks a 30 year association with The Traverse. I started my professional acting career with the Young Playwrights' Festival, which has helped to cement my ongoing commitment to new writing."

For more information, visit www.traverse.co.uk

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