'Black Men Walking’ comes to Oldham as part of new UK tour

'Black Men Walking' has been described as ‘linguistically dazzling…important, political and poignant’

Eclipse Theatre has announced the return of ‘Black Men Walking’, the company’s critically acclaimed production inspired by a real-life walking men’s group in Sheffield.

The production will open at the Oldham Coliseum Theatre from October 24-26 as part of a new UK-wide tour.

The first work staged as part of the Eclipse’s ground-breaking 'Revolution Mix’ movement, which is delivering the largest ever national programme of Black British stories produced and performed in UK theatres, ‘Black Men Walking’ premiered at the Royal Exchange in Manchester in January 2018 before embarking on a sell-out run across 13 venues in England and Wales.

Nominated for UK Theatre’s ‘Best New Play’ and Writer’s Guild ‘Best Play’ 2019, the original production was conceived by Eclipse in collaboration with Leeds-based rapper, singer, producer and performer Testament and directed by Dawn Walton.

Described as ‘linguistically dazzling…important, political and poignant’ by The Stage and ‘a truly original and innovative piece of theatre ‘ by The Guardian, the piece won rave reviews for its exploration of complex themes including race and identity, expressed through dramatic story telling which mixes prose, poetry and original music. 

Black Men Walking tells the compelling story of three middle-aged Black men - Thomas, Matthew and Richard - who meet every month as part of a walking group to explore the dramatic landscape of the Peak District in Yorkshire.

On this particular trip, the rest of group cancels and it soon feels like maybe they should have done too.

The men find themselves forced to walk backwards through two thousand years of Black history, embarking on a dangerous journey that invokes an element of the supernatural, an encounter with the spirits of their ancestors and an exploration of what it means to be both Black and British today.

The Black Men Walking 2019 tour kicks off at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in London, before heading to the Oldham Coliseum in late October.

To buy tickets, click on individual venues at: https://eclipsetheatre.org.uk

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