Photo Flash: In Rehearsals with CHIGGER FOOT BOYS at Tara Arts

Patricia Cumper, renowned playwright and former Artistic Director of Talawa Theatre, draws inspiration from personal and historical stories in her latest play, set in a rum bar by the docks in Kingston, Jamaica 1914. Oblivious of the impact that the distant war in Europe will have on them, their island and the future of the British Empire, a soldier, a hunter, a scholar and a lover are playing a game of dominoes whilst trapped by a thunderstorm. Amongst them is a young Norman Manley, future statesman and National Hero of Jamaica. In a series of flash forwards, Chigger Foot Boys delves into the fate that awaits them and many other Jamaicans who volunteered and fought on the fronts of World War One.

Check out photos from rehearsal below!

The cast includes John Leader who is currently performing in the National Theatre's critically acclaimed Peter Pan and has previously toured with War Horse, and Suzette Llewellyn, who was one of the founding members of innovative theatre troupe BiBi Crew, dedicated to producing new writing from an African-Caribbean perspective. They are joined by TV and theatre veteran Stanley J Browne, Jamaican born emerging actor Jonathan Chambers, actor and director Matthew Truesmith, and Ike Bennett, who makes his professional debut before graduating this year from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Tara Arts is established as one of the UK's foremost creators of cross-cultural theatre. Their work, which consists of both new writing and reimagined classics, seeks to make imaginative connections across communities, to help foster a global sensibility from their own locality. The company was founded in 1977 by Artistic Director Jatinder Verma, along with Sunil Saggar, Ovais Kadri, Praveen Bahl & Vijay Shaunak. Tara Theatre opened in September 2016, and has been awarded Project Design of the Year at the London Construction Awards as well as being nominated for both Theatre Building of the Year and Sustainability in The Stage awards 2017.

For tickets and more information, visit www.tara-arts.com.

Photo credit: Richard HuBert Smith

Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS
Cast of CHIGGER FOOT BOYS