Horizons New Year 2022 – Shoots Scratch Night at The Lowry
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Seize the opportunity to see some brand-new theatre in development at The Lowry. Shoots Scratch Night is an evening dedicated to new work and offers artists the opportunity to ‘test’ their idea in front of an audience.
For this edition of Shoots Scratch Night – to mark the Lunar New Year – The Lowry have teamed up with Horizons Collective, a brilliant community of north-west based British East Asian and South East Asian creatives, artists and theatre-makers. Featuring the creative seedlings of four brand-new works, it’s quite thrilling to know that audiences might be seeing the early beginnings of ideas that will grow into fully formed performances. Audiences are also encouraged to provide the artists with feedback on their performance so become an integral part of the development process and the shaping of the work.
It’s quite thrilling to know that audiences might be seeing the early beginnings of ideas that will grow into fully formed performances.
Manchester-based dancer, actor and writer Matthew Koon will present Existential, a small collection of monologues and skits inspired by real-life experiences. Matthew explores the conflicts between how he expected his life to look at 28 years old and the actual lived reality. Unmarried, no kids, no house or stable job – awkwardly straddling the line of being too young to be a Millennial and too old to be Gen Z. Matthew hopes to capture a snapshot of what his life is like right now during this strange transitional period.
Scattered Families is a collection of monologues and stories by Lesa Dang. Spanning three generations, the piece documents the Dang’s family journey from a fishing village in Vietnam in the 1940s through to the current day. Sharing the hardship of rural Vietnam throughout the period of the Indochina War, the piece explores legacy, identity and family.
Samuel Rossiter will present The Art Of, a new piece exploring the experiences of a young mid-twenties trans man as he sets out to tackle the world of dating apps and casual sex. Born in Hong Kong, Manchester-based Samuel Rossiter is a trans performer of English/ Chinese heritage.
Mei Yuk Wong will present her monologue, Girl Power – Milk Tea Alliance – charting the stories of three brave women who fight for democratic movements in Thailand, Hong Kong and Myanmar. Hong Kong born Mei Yuk Wong is a writer and artist who has lived in Manchester for over 20 years.
The Shoots Scratch Night will be preceded by a workshop hosted by film and theatre director Fumi Gomez.
The Shoots Scratch Night will be preceded by a workshop for BESEA (British East and South East Asian) artists based in the North West of England. Entitled ‘New Earth Theatre x The Lowry Workshop for BESEA Creatives and Artists‘, the session will run on Friday 4 February from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm in the James Dunn classroom at The Lowry. Following the workshop, there will be free drinks and Lunar New Year treats, and the chance to network with other BESEA artists and creatives.
