Cumbernauld-grown talent to take the Lanternhouse stage

 Common Tongue explores the impact of culture, identity and its intersections in Scotland through a fast-paced and quick-witted one-person narrative. 

Bonnie’s life has been defined by wirds; the richt wans, the wrang wans, aun the wans used against her. The now, Bonnie haes a chance to speak aboot it. But the last time she done any public speaking wis a solo talk in Primary School. This time roon she’s no really sure whit she’s gonnae say, or even how she’s gonnae say it.  

Olivia Caw stars as Bonnie, as she navigates her relationship with the way she speaks, coming to grips with the implications of her language, and how much she can claim it or ignore it. 

The actress has lived in Cumbernauld all her life and attended her first drama class at the Cottage Theatre. She also worked with our Community Engagement team on Take Part projects at Lanternhouse.

Lizzie on The Fence, which is a new comedy written by Edinburgh’s Amanda Mackenzie Stuart, tells the story of locked-down love and the agonies of separation. The play draws on both the writer’s personal experience of only being able to see her terminally ill husband through his care home fence during lockdown and on many similar stories.

Lizzie is forbidden to see Bill in his care home – but she finds a way.

Each performance (50 minutes) will be followed by a panel discussion delivered in collaboration with grassroots campaigning organisation Care Home Relatives Scotland, leading advocates on behalf of relatives denied access to loved ones during the pandemic and the force behind Anne’s Law. 

Michelle Frew will be returning to Cumbernauld to perform alongside Renata Allen, Kieran Hodgson and Edward Rowatt.

Both productions will be staged in our Studio Theatre. Common Tongue will run from Thursday 26 September to Friday 27 September at 7.30pm, and Lizzie on The Fence is due to take stage on Wednesday 9 October at 7.30pm.