Public Record will feature more than 100 community performers alongside professional musicians and dancers, and will be staged at The Fire Station next April.
The production is part of the National Theatre’s Public Acts, a nationwide programme creating extraordinary acts of theatre and community.
Public Record will transform The Fire Station into a recording studio to create a new album; a portrait of the city through its people. There will be four performances of Public Record at The Fire Station, from Friday, April 25 to Sunday, April 27, and tickets are now on sale.
Helen Green, Sunderland Culture’s Head of Performance, explained: “The Sunderland community will come together to record an album, making a record of who they are, where they’ve come from and where they want to go. Each ‘track’ will reflect an aspect of life in the city.
“Sunderland, nor anywhere else, has ever seen anything like it. Public Record is something unique and extraordinary.
“It is original, exciting and very emotional and we know people will leave The Fire Station having enjoyed an amazing experience – but also feeling very proud of our Music City.”
Public Record features original music and songs from Ross Millard (The Futureheads guitarist and singer) and is split into 13 ‘tracks’ each celebrating an element of Sunderland and its long and proud musical heritage.
“Each of the tracks explores a theme – from birth to death and everything in between. There will be music and dancing, karaoke and DJs and a house band featuring – among others – Ross, and Dave and Peter Brewis from Field Music.
“I think audiences will be particularly moved by a track in memory of Faye Fantarrow, the inspirational Sunderland singer songwriter who died last year aged 21.”
National Theatre’s Director of Public Acts Emily Lim has teamed up with Co-Director and Choreographer Dan Canham, writer Stewart Pringle and Ross to develop Public Record.
Emily said: “We are having such an inspiring time creating Public Record. We hope our show will do justice to the amazing passion for music and community that exists in Sunderland. It’s a show that explores what it is to live, love, lose and grow together, and we can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
The community performers are drawn from four groups: Back on the Map, Connect Company from Sunderland Empire, The Odyssey Alumni group and Sunderland Nigerian Family Group.
The Odyssey Alumni performers were involved in National Theatre’s The Odyssey production at The Fire Station last year. Five episodes of The Odyssey were produced across the UK as part of the Public Acts programme, culminating in an epic finale production which brought performers from the five locations together on the National Theatre’s Olivier stage in August 2023.
There are also two ‘cameo’ groups involved in Public Record, Dance JAM street dancers led by Pinkie, and 14 teenagers from the Young Musicians Project, led by Laura Brewis.
Marie Nixon, Sunderland Empire Theatre Director, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be part of this phenomenal project, which brings together communities and celebrates creativity with such heart. It’s a testament to the power of collaboration and our commitment to delivering high-quality experiences that truly resonate with people.”
Tamsin Austin, Venue Director of The Fire Station, said: “We’re delighted to be working with National Theatre, Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire on Public Record. At The Fire Station, music and people are at the heart of everything we do and to be able to reflect this through a new piece of theatre with a community cast, as well as professional musicians and actors, is a dream for us.”
Public Acts is supported by Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring Fund, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The CareTech Charitable Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Mosawi
Foundation and The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust.
For more information or to book tickets, go to www.thefirestation.org.uk