Sanctuary – refuge or safety from pursuit, persecution, or other danger
Sanctuary at The Borough Theatre Abergavenny – June 2023
Contemporancient Theatre is pleased to be bringing this innovative play about the Gunter Mansion – Plas Gunter, to the Borough Theatre in the Summer of 2023. Working with and supported by the Gunter Mansion and other key stakeholders such as Abergavenny Town Council, the Postcode Lottery Abergavenny Town of Sanctuary, and the Arts Council for Wales (ACW), Sanctuary will be a mix of historical theatre, alongside a modern story of refuge – told by professional actors, who will be ably assisted by a community chorus. In addition to this, a suite of music has been composed for the play which will embrace both Welsh and Syrian culture.
Tickets are on sale from the Borough Theatre – click here for details.
Sanctuary – Cast, Director, Writer, and Lyricist
Synopsis
For more than four hundred years Abergavenny has provided Sanctuary for those in danger – now the horrors and joys of their secret stories are told in thrilling theatre and music.
Carys is hiding in a garret in The Gunter Mansion in the centre of Abergavenny whilst building work and restoration goes on around her in 2023; Garnet and Oldcorne, two Jesuit priests are hiding in the same garret space in the early 17th century; Latifa has fled to Wales from Syria – all three find refuge and find each other in this hard-hitting, deeply moving and ultimately life-affirming and joyful story of Sanctuary and of kindness in Abergavenny. Told through original music and song, through visual images, and through the power of theatre, this is a story of Abergavenny’s past and its present and points very much to its future.
Tickets are available now. Please click here
Cast at First Read through for Sanctuary – January 2023
Photo & Video Credits: Chris Lloyd
Community Chorus – An Exciting Opportunity!!
How would you like to learn from and work with a team of professional actors and musicians? Contemporancient Theatre are looking for volunteers to take part in their play with music ‘Sanctuary: the secrets of the Gunter Mansion’ coming to The Borough Theatre, Abergavenny in June. The play tells through dialogue, media and music about a history of Santuary in the town of Abergavenny-from a events at The Gunter Mansion in the 17th century to the story of Syrian refugees finding a home in the town today. What makes this town such a place of Sanctuary? We are looking for adults to be part of a ‘spoken voice’ chorus – speaking sections of the text as a group of voices, underscored by music, at points in the performance and to be on stage throughout. No experience is required. A willingness to learn sections of verse and to attend workshop rehearsals during May and June at The Melville Centre on Mondays and Wednesdays during the early evening is all that’s required. If you’d like to help us bring this important and theatrical work to life onstage and help tell a wonderful Abergavenny story, please contact us to express your interest! We’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch, using the form below
Get in touch
“The Opportunity to join a professional production, as part of a non-singing chorus, will be a lot of fun and hopefully a fulfilling experience for everyone involved.”
– Neil Maidman – Director of Sanctuary – The Secrets of the Gunter Mansion.
Contemporancient Theatre 