Collector of Tears will be performed by a cast of ten young actors, aged 17-25, many from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, and directed by the company’s founder and artistic director Yasmin Sidhwa, who was formerly a director with Pegasus Theatre, Oxford.
In a new adaptation of the play, written by Sean Burn, Mandala actors use physical theatre to tell the story of a young outcast, who cannot come of age until she has cried. The production is a commentary by young people on the world they have inherited; it is both a warning and a call to action.
After its première at Offbeat, Mandala will take the play to Grenoble in July, as part of Rencontre International Theatre Festival.
Established in 2015, Mandala Theatre is an Oxford-based company with a national and international focus, commissioning and producing exciting new work which has social justice at its core. It has just completed a successful debut UK tour with its specially commissioned play Night Light, which played in venues across the country and attracted critical praise for it bold and innovative theme.
Mandala has been developing and exploring ideas for its latest production since February, with rehearsals starting in March at the company’s base at the Ark-T Centre.
The company has a three-year artistic strategy to create new work around the theme of place, identity and belonging, using the live experience of young people to create new plays in collaboration with high-calibre playwrights.
Artistic director Yasmin Sidhwa said: “We’re very excited to involve Mandala Young Company in our second production, and looking forward to unveiling it to an Oxford audience at Offbeat before heading to Europe. The play showcases the talents of some amazing young local actors.”
Date: Monday 26 June 2017; Time: 18.15 hrs; Place: OFS Theatre, George St, Oxford OX1 2AQ; Tickets: £10; Age: 14+; Booking: 01865 305305/01865 263990 ; More info: www.offbeatoxford.co.uk www.mandalatheatre.co.uk