Award-winning and internationally acclaimed physical theatre company Gecko embark on a national tour of their brand new production Kin. The tour culminates in a run at the National Theatre in January 2024 – a landmark moment for this important company. Kin is inspired by the epic journey from Yemen to Palestine that Artistic Director Amit Lahav’s grandmother Leah and her family took to escape persecution. Ninety years later, her grandson reflects on the life-changing decision his family made to flee and build a better life. Featuring Gecko’s signature physical, visual, visceral and ambitious performance, this production presents a provocative story of desperation and compassion.
Amit Lahav, Gecko’s Artistic Director, said, Every production that I create starts with a personal reflection combined with a current wider societal issue. In 2017, I visited my grandmother in Israel where we talked about her journey from Yemen to Palestine to escape persecution, as well as my family’s history more broadly. Kin was ultimately inspired by the desire to delve deeper into the complex mix of migration stories that make up who I am. Migration is a facet of human existence – we all have migration stories whether we’re aware of them or whether they’re more
distant, and that excites me because we have the potential to encourage a profoundly positive, celebratory voyage towards empathy. We exist both where we’ve come from and where we’re going; this is what I wanted to explore through the creation of Kin.
Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre added, I’ve been following Gecko’s work for a number of years and have a growing admiration for their dynamic and fearless approach to story in motion. Allied to this their commitment to internationalism, with completely integrated educational work, as well as their deeply embedded UK wide touring ethos, is hugely impressive. Their presence at the National Theatre is overdue, and we look forward very much to them being with us.
Commissioned by the National Theatre, Gecko will perform Kin at Storyhouse Chester, CAST Doncaster, Oxford Playhouse, Nottingham Playhouse and Brighton Dome this autumn before their run at the National’s Lyttleton Theatre from 12 – 27 January 2024. Alongside the show’s run, Gecko will be facilitating workshops and wraparound activities at each tour stop, giving local refugee and migrant communities the opportunity to engage with Gecko’s work and experience this striking production.
Kin is a Gecko Production
Commissioned by the National Theatre
Supported by HOME Manchester, Lighthouse Poole and London International Mime Festival.
UK Tour: September 2023 – January 2024
Press Nights: Friday 13th October, 7.30pm, Nottingham Playhouse
Tuesday 16th January 2024, 7pm, National Theatre
Running Time 90 minutes
Created by Amit Lahav
Designer Rhys Jarman
Lighting Chris Swain
Sound Mark Melville
Original music Dave Price
Producer Rae Lee, Pippa Fox, Rosalind Wynn
Assistant Director Andres Velasquez
Company Stage Manager Alyssa Watts
Technical Stage Manager Jake Channon
Design Associate Blythe Brett
Costume Supervisors Gayle Playford, Becky-Dee Trevenen
Lighting Associate Pablo Fernandez Baz, Lucy Adams
Sound Engineer Sharon Tsang
Devising Performers Madeleine Fairminer, Vanessa Guevara Flores, Saju Hari, Wai Shan Vivian Luk, Miguel Hernando Torres Umba, Mario Patrón, Chris Evans, Kenny Wing Tao Ho, Amit Lahav.
Age Guidance Ages 14+
Twitter/Instagram @GeckoTheatre
Facebook facebook.com/GeckoTheatreCo
YouTube youtube.com/GeckoTheatreCoYT
Website www.geckotheatre.com
Performance Dates
22nd – 23rd September Storyhouse Chester
Hunter Street, Chester, CH12AR
28th – 29th September CAST Doncaster
Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BU
4th – 5th October Oxford Playhouse
11-12 Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2LW
11th – 14th October Nottingham Playhouse
Wellington Circus, Nottingham NG1 5AF
1st – 4th November Brighton Dome
Church St, Brighton BN1 1UE
12th – 27th January 2024 Lyttleton Theatre, National Theatre
Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
