Early Days of a Better Nation

Early Days of a Better Nation is a hugely exciting ongoing project, combining two of my biggest interests, theatre and national identity/nation-building. The end result will be so much more than a play: it's a document of our ideas of nationality and what a nation should be in this era of economic crisis, globalisation and increased individualism. The next stage of this process is a scratch performance at Chapter Arts Centre on Thursday 17th May.

I spoke to Annette Mees from Coney (www.youhavefoundconey.net) about the project, where it came from and where it's going to. She highlighted that Early Days is no traditional play, but rather almost a game, a space for discussion and sharing ideas. Because national identity is something which has very different meanings depending on where you are and who you talk to, the piece will grow and change as audiences react to it.



As mentioned in the interview, beyond getting live audience reactions, Coney are very interested in gathering opinions through Twitter. Follow @agencyofconey to get involved.

Early Days of a Better Nation is also just one of many interactive, thought-provoking pieces that Coney are working on at the moment, all across the country. It's well worth checking out their website to see when they are coming to a theatre near you.

A scratch performance of Early Days of a Better Nation will take place at Chapter Arts Centre on Thursday 17th May, with tickets at just £1. Stay tuned to #earlydays to follow the discussion.