#theunreturning

STRATFORD EAST PODCAST - EPISODE 4

We chat with actors Kieton Saunders-Browne and Jonnie Riordan about THE UNRETURNING and Frantic Assembly. 

ANNA JORDAN INTERVIEW | THE UNRETURNING

THE UNRETURNING CAST

We are thrilled to announce the cast for our upcoming production of The Unreturning

Joe Layton - Frankie Jared Garfield - George Jonnie Riordan - Nat Kieton Saunders-Browne - Finn Wed 16 Jan - Sat 02 Feb 2019

INSIDE THE REHEARSAL ROOM | THE UNRETURNING

Q&A WITH ANNA JORDAN | THE UNRETURNING

Writer of The Unreturning, Anna Jordan, talks about creating the show, working with Frantic Assembly and more!

What inspired you to write The Unreturning? The idea was born out of lots of exciting discussions with Neil and Scott and the team at Frantic. We were interested in exploring how it feels to come home after a transformative experience; particularly through the eyes of a young man - as this project was inspired by Frantic’s Ignition scheme which celebrates its 10th birthday this year. (All of the cast of The Unreturning are made up of Ignition graduates). We then explored lots of avenues – lots of different situations in which you might spend time away from home as a young man – and eventually after quite a bit of development the idea of returning home after an experience of war started to show itself as the most dramatic. We’ve looked at how you change when you are away from home, or how your home can change – be that emotionally or physically. It’s a way of exploring what home means.

How does working with Frantic Assembly compare with other companies? Are there extra things you need to consider when you know you are writing a piece that will incorporate movement? Yes, I think it changes the experience completely in a wonderful way. I’ve been a huge admirer of Frantic’s work and the chance to work with them has been a bit of a dream for me. Although the work they do is very physically challenging and quite technical, it’s hugely accessible for audiences which I think is the most exciting thing about it. It does shape how you write - something I’ve been aware of is that writing long, very naturalistic scenes is not always the best fit for Frantic’s work (in my opinion) and lots of The Unreturning is quite poetic and rhythmic and full of imagery, which I imagine the company creating physically with great impact. It’s about leaving space for the movement to tell the story too. The Unreturning moves very quickly, sometimes through short staccato scenes, seamlessly changing time and location in a heartbeat. The idea is that the scene can magically transform in a matter of moments; this idea of magic was important to us from the beginning. It’s really allowed me to be daring and that’s a gift for any writer.

How do you feel this is relevant to audiences today? Sadly, it feels incredibly relevant now, especially with the Syrian Conflict and the refugee crisis filling our news feeds every day as well as rising tensions across the world and a growing sense of uncertainty about the future. I suppose for me as a writer, The Unreturning was a way of exploring and exorcising some of those uncertainties – as the play looks forward to what the future of war could be as well as back at what we’ve known. There is also, of course, the centenary of the First World War. I’m aware this all sounds heavy – but there is lightness and laughter in the play too – and hope. It’s a lot about friendship and camaraderie and it was important for us as a team to find those moments of light. Those will be brought out not just through the writing but through Frantic’s movement language.  

What do you hope audiences will take away from the play? Essentially, I want to tell dramatic and invigorating stories about the way young men are affected by war – whether they are fighting or fleeing it. Theatre’s greatest gift is that it can generate empathy and that is something we need more than ever in today’s world. With suicide being the leading cause of death for men under 45 in this country I jumped at the chance to write a piece that explored themes of masculinity and male mental health, and I hope it will be enlightening and entertaining for an audience. I hope they will feel they have gone on an epic journey with each of the characters.

Photos: Tristram Kenton

16 Jan - 02 Feb 2019

OFFICIAL TRAILER | THE UNRETURNING

Watch the stunning new trailer for Frantic Assembly’s powerful new play THE UNRETURNING, written by Anna Jordan.

16 Jan - 02 Feb 2019

THE UNRETURNING Wed 16 Jan - Sat 02 Feb 2019

Frantic Assembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth present THE UNRETURNING written by Anna Jordan and directed by Neil Bettles.

I want to return to my home...

Can beginnings be made out of endings? In a British Northern Coastal town, three young men are coming home. In 1918 George returns from the Western Front. In 2013 Frankie is back from his final tour of Afghanistan. And some time in the not-too-distant future Nat returns from an overseas refugee camp to what was his hometown.

A compelling new play by Anna Jordan (Yen – Royal Court Theatre, Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2013), directed by Neil Bettles (Associate Director of Frantic Assembly) and featuring Frantic’s celebrated physicality, The Unreturning explores the profound effect that war has on young lives.

This production celebrates the 10th anniversary of Frantic Assembly’s Ignition training programme, of which Theatre Royal Stratford East has previously been a partner.

Wed 16 Jan - Sat 02 Feb 2019 Preview: Wed 16 Jan

Tickets from £10 Age guidance: 14+ (contains strong language)