Visit The UK Without Leaving The South Bank

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 113 months ago
Visit The UK Without Leaving The South Bank
cometowhere.jpg
The Bear Pit, Sheffield
The Bear Pit, Sheffield
Tim Atack
Tim Atack
Zodwa Nyoni
Zodwa Nyoni

We, obviously, think that London is the greatest city in the world. But we do begrudgingly admit there's an entire country beyond London's borders, and occasionally we visit. (Heck, some of us even come from there.) But it's handier when NotLondon comes to us, so an installation from theatre company Paines Plough at Southbank Centre this weekend pushes all our lazy buttons.

Come To Where I'm From is a playwright's guide to Great Britain: 100 of them have gone back to their hometowns and written mini plays about them. These have all been plotted on a map so you can choose either a place or a writer, pop on a pair of headphones and listen to the piece — or scan a QR code, download it to your phone and take it with you.

For those who prefer a live experience, some of the playwrights will be turning up and performing their pieces in person: on Friday, see the wonderful James Graham (This House, Privacy) lament the lost mining industry of Mansfield, plus Martha MacDonald (Jersey) and Lizzie Nunnery (Liverpool); on Saturday see Titas Halder (Isle of Wight), Alia Bano (Birmingham) and Fin Kennedy (Brighton); and on Sunday it's the turn of Zodwa Nyoni (Leeds), Michael Chaplin (Newcastle), Sarah McDonald Hughes (Manchester) and Tim Atack (Bristol).

The plays will be available, completely free, from 6pm on Friday 10 October to 8pm on Sunday 12 October, with playwrights appearing between 6-7pm on each day. If you can't make it down in person, there'll be an app available to download after the event.

Last Updated 08 October 2014