Northampton Royal & Derngate Releases New Political Musical Drama 'On Hostile Ground'

Northampton’s Royal and Derngate is releasing new musical, On Hostile Ground, in a series of free videos. Claire is part of the 30 strong cast.

Shining a light on the communities who have come to call Britain home, On Hostile Ground is a compelling new musical drama. Based on jaw-dropping real-life testimonies and featuring a classically influenced score, it interweaves the story of the cabinet meeting that created the brutal Hostile Environment Policy and of the people whose lives were devastated by it.

The creative team consists of Darren Clark (lyrics), Juliet Gilkes Romero (book), Michael Henry (music and orchestrations) and Charlotte Westenra (co-creator and director). With opportunities for live performance curtailed by the pandemic, the writers developed the work into 14 music videos and straight-to-camera monologues filmed at home by the actors.

The first three videos are released on Tuesday 16 February. On that evening, there will also be the first of a series of free, online question-and-answer sessions about the hostile ground policy and creation of the musical.

The panel for the first, The Hostile Environment: Impact and Legacy, involves Amelia Gentleman, journalist and author of The Windrush Betrayal: Exposing the Hostile Environment, Jun Pang, policy and campaigns officer, Liberty, social commentator, cultural historian and Windrush justice campaigner Patrick Vernon OBE and journalist and news presenter Juliette Foster.

Further information is available at https://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/on-hostile-ground/ where free tickets for the question-and-answer sessions can also be booked.