A refugee-led theatre group in Boscombe will take its final bow tonight as HopeFool — a play exploring themes of migration, belonging, hope and compassion — concludes its tour.
The production, performed by Celeste, a community arts group, aims to help those struggling in modern day life.
The group brings together a range of people.
The diverse cast is aged 10 to 68, from refugee, asylum-seeking and recovery backgrounds, from over 12 nationalities and several faiths.
Writer and Director Sharon Coyne spoke to BUzz about the impact she thinks Celeste and HopeFool has.
“I think the message is of hope, and that really, however simple it may seem, we could actually all be living together peacefully,” she said.
“I think especially for young people watching the news all the time, you can be filled with a sense of hopelessness” Coyne said.
“One of the main parts of the play is that people feel that they’re doing something.”
Throughout its run, HopeFool has concluded each play with the cast sitting in front of the audience sharing their personal stories, as well as inviting the audience to share their own.
At a performance in Wimborne, audiences shared their thoughts, praising Celeste for their transparency and beliefs. One audience member commented it was “a nice reminder of the strength found during difficult times”.
The performers shared how reading and performing the play has helped with their English reading and writing alongside their confidence and public speaking skills.
17-year-old Ateeq, who played main character Omid said: “I didn’t even imagine I could memorise this all within a few weeks.
“Sometimes I forget, I just need two or three seconds because it’s not my language and everyone will help me.”
The play’s journey ends in Boscombe this evening after past appearances in Christchurch and Corfe Castle.
Celeste is a part of the company Vita Nova which was established in 1999 and uses theatre and expressive arts to support wellbeing.
Vita Nova has also worked on projects such as ‘Writing Home’, where participants wrote letters to their home countries, and the Refugee Nativity, which will be put on for the fifth year this December.
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