FAR GONE Comes to Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre

A gut-kicking physical performance with humour, poetry, and the horrors of being a child soldier comes to Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre this month.

Far Gone (30 March) follows the life of Okumu, an innocent boy living with a good family in Northern Uganda. When his village is attacked by Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), he and his brother are captured and their lives are forever changed. We follow Okumu through this transformation from boy to child soldier. The boy struggles to fit into the bush life he's been forced into until one day an unexpected visitor appears.

Written and performed by John Rwothomack, this one-man play also explores how historically political and religious decisions made by western powers contributed to civil wars in Africa which in turn gave birth to the existence of a child soldier.

Has much changed?

John Rwothomack is a Ugandan-born, London-trained, and Sheffield-bred-and-based actor and director. He trained as an actor at Rose Bruford College of Performing Arts. After graduating in 2015, he worked as an actor in London and then moved back to Sheffield where he directed Paul Sirret's Bad Blood Blues at Theatre Deli.

John has also worked as an associate producer for Sheffield Crucible Theatre resident company Utopia Theatre on Shadows in Different Shades, I am David Oluwale and SoAfrica Festival.

Far Gone is the first play John has both written and performed in.

The director is Moji Kareem, the Musical and Sound Director is Lee Affen, and the Lighting Designer is William Monks. Set and costume are designed by Kevin Jenkins and the Movement Director is Akeim Toussaint Buck. The videographer and editor is Gomolemo Nyakale.

Far Gone can be seen at the SJT on Wednesday 30 March at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced from £10, are available from the box office on 01723 370541 and online at www.sjt.uk.com.