Photo Flash: Border Crossings Presents THIS FLESH IS MINE and WHEN NOBODY RETURNS

This autumn a duo of immersive productions transport audiences to the Middle East in a brand new found space at Acklam Market

London-based theatre company Border Crossings in collaboration with Ramallah-based ASHTAR Theatre of Palestine will present two plays set in the Middle East, plunging the audience into the heart of conflict and occupation directly underneath the Westway

This Flesh is Mine, which premiered in 2014 will run alongside the world premiere of its sequel When Nobody Returns featuring a joint cast of Palestinian and British actors

This Flesh is Mine is Brian Woolland's acclaimed poetic play, drawn from The Iliad, that brings together Homer's Troy and the contemporary life and politics of the Middle East of today. Its sequel, When Nobody Returns, is an Odyssey to follow; it continues to meld the Mediterranean worlds of Homeric myth and the present day. After the war is over there are displaced people on the seas, soldiers carrying mental scars, and long-remembered scores that need to be settled. Alongside recurrent themes of war, death, honour and reconciliation both plays engage profoundly with the current refugee crisis: there will be a series of talks throughout the run with special guests to discuss the issues raised in the productions.

This Flesh is Mine premiered in Ramallah, Palestine before going on to play in London at Testbed1 for a limited run in 2014. It returns for a full length run to play in repertory alongside the world premiere of its sequel, When Nobody Returns, as part of Nour Festival 2016. Tickets for individual shows are £18 each (£15 conc) or patrons can purchase a joint ticket to see both performances and get 30% off.

Press are invited to review When Nobody Returns on Wednesday, 26 October at 7.30pm and are invited to review both shows on Sunday, 23 October at 4pm (This Flesh is Mine) and 7.30pm (When Nobody Returns).

Casting is made up of a Palestinian and British cast including ASHTAR Artistic Director, Iman Aoun; Palestinian performer Bayan Shbib (Richard II at Globe to Globe); Andrew French (Julius Caesar at RSC, Merchant of Venice at National Theatre); Gerrard McArthur (Waste and Scenes from an Execution at National Theatre); Tariq Jordan (Guantanamo and The Bomb at Tricycle); David Broughton-Davies (Channel 4's Henry VIII). Director Michael Walling is Border Crossings' founding Artistic Director: work elsewhere includes The Ring at ENO, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Lake Tahoe), Xerxes (San Francisco). Writer Brian Woolland's previous plays for Border Crossings include Double Tongue: other plays include A Terrible Madness (Ballarat, Australia).

ASHTAR Theatre Artistic Director Iman Aoun says: ""With the current situation in the Middle East - ongoing cycles of violence across the region, Gaza under siege, millions displaced - there's an urgent need for artists from the region to tell their stories, and to enter into real dialogues with their western counterparts. We don't just need productions that report on events - though these are important - we need productions like these two plays that speak to what is happening now."

The press on This Flesh is Mine:
"The play truly breaks down barriers." Guardian
"A remarkable production. A major achievement by writer Brian Woolland and definitely a must-see event." Newsline

This project is funded by Arts Council England and British Council.

Border Crossings In response to the contemporary globalised world, Border Crossings works through theatre to create a cultural space in which people come together as equals for creativity and dialogue. The company works across the borders between cultures and art forms, and between nations and peoples. Since 1995, Border Crossings has created productions in collaboration with artists from many backgrounds, examining issues of cultural diversity and globalisation. Productions include Consumed and Re-Orientations (with Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre), The Dilemma of a Ghost (with National Theatre of Ghana). Border Crossings also produces the Origins Festival of First Nations.

ASHTAR Theatre is a Palestinian theatre company with a progressive global perspective. Recent productions include Richard II (Globe to Globe Festival), 48 Minutes for Palestine (International Tour) and The Gaza Monologues (International Tour).

Nour Festival illuminates the best in contemporary arts and culture from the Middle East and North Africa, in venues across the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, each October and November. Showcasing a broad spectrum of arts and culture - including film, food, music, literature, poetry, performance, urban development and visual arts - Nour reaches a diverse audience of local, national and international visitors. Growing each year, Nour takes audiences on an unforgettable journey into this region, its cultures and art forms.

Photo credit: Richard Davenport