Amnesty International has chosen six Fringe productions for the shortlist of its 2014 Freedom of Expression Award.
The Award, given annually to an outstanding Fringe production with a strong human rights message, celebrated a decade of excellence in theatre in 2013. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in the City Arts Centre tonight, Friday 22 August.
The shortlisted productions are:
Cuckooed – Produced by Lakin McCarthy in association with Traverse Theatre Company. Written and performed by Mark Thomas. Directed by EmmaCallander.
City of The Blind/Horizontal Collaboration – Produced by Mhari Hetherington. Written and Directed by David Leddy. Performed by a company of actors including Claire Knight, James Mackenzie, Louise Ludgate, Shelley King, Adura Onashile, Keith Fleming, Neil McCormack, John Macaulay, Angela Darcy, and Wendy Seager.
Guinea Pigs on Trial – Produced by LouiseMothersole, Rebecca Biscuit, Jen Smethurst and Escalator East. Written by Rebecca Biscuit and Louise Mothersole. Directed by Louise Mothersoleand Rebecca Biscuit
Performed by Rebecca Biscuit and Louise Mothersole.
No Guts No Heart No Glory – Produced by Common Wealth Theatre Company. Written by Aisha Zia. Directed by Evie Manning. Performed by Nayab Din,Seherish Mahmood, Freyaa Ali, Saira Tabasum andMariam Rashid.
Sirens – Produced by Ontroerend Goed with Vooruit, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Richard Jordan Productions Ltd. Written by Joeri Smet, Mieke Versyp.Directed by Alexander Devriendt. Performed byCharlotte De Bruyne,Aurélie Lannoy, AnemoneValcke, Marjan Deschutter, Karolien De Bleser and Verona Verbakel.
Spine – Produced by FoolsCap in association withSoho Theatre. Written by Clara Brennan. Directed by Bethany Pitts. Performed by Rosie Wyatt.
Siobhan Reardon, Amnesty International Programme Director said:
“This shortlist reflects themes that touch all of our lives. It is particularly important that we continue to support freedom of expression at the world’s largest arts festival, and recognise the true difference theatre can make in spreading the message of that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Freedom of Expression Award Judge Joyce McMillan said:
"Since last August, the brilliant, beautiful and disturbing 2013 Freedom of Expression Award winner, Nirbhaya, has travelled the world, helping to raise awareness of violence against women and to end the silence around this issue. Now once again, in 2014, we have a shortlist of shows that seek to give a voice to the voiceless, and that touch in exciting and creative ways on themes of freedom of expression and human rights.”
Amnesty’s involvement with the world’s largest arts festival is based on the celebration of freedom of expression and campaigning for the rights of people whose free speech is denied.
Amnesty’s 2014 Edinburgh Festival campaign is for Chinese poet and artist Liu Xia, who has been held under illegal house arrest in Beijing since October 2010. Security guards stand outside her home and she is prevented from communicating freely with the outside world – the police have banned her from making or receiving phone calls or accessing the internet. She is in poor health, with severe depression and a heart condition. Her only crime is being married to democracy activist Liu Xiaobo