by Clare Bayley
Adriano Sobretodo Jr. & Lara Arabian in The Container. Photo by Lauren Posloski.
About the Show
Five people thrown together by circumstance and necessity travel across Europe in a shipping container. Should they trust each other? What price will they pay to complete their journey?
When the doors of the container shut behind you, let your eyes adjust as you meet five complex individuals: Fatima, Asha, Jemal, Ahmad and Mariam. You join them on the final leg of their voyage, as they are smuggled across Europe in the confined space of a shipping container. The only thing they have in common is their goal: to get to England and start a new life. Witness them torn between greed and generosity, watched over by the mysterious Agent who orchestrates their journey. With freedom so close, what price would you pay?
Clare Bayley’s provocative depiction of migrant smuggling won the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award for its unflinching and empathetic portrayal of the very human stories behind the statistics.
Production History
The Container had its Canadian premiere at the SummerWorks Festival in Toronto, Canada from August 7 to 17, 2014. The production was directed by Zachary Florence and produced by Sabrina A. Bandali, with set and lighting design by Jennifer Lennon, sound design by Nick Carney and costume design by Erin Frances Gerofsky. Meredith Henry was the stage manager. The cast included Bola Aiyeola, Lara Arabian, Ubah Guled, Constantine Karzis, Adriano Sobretodo Jr. and Sugith Varughese.
This production of The Container was revived by Theatre Fix at the Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto, Canada from August 31 to September 18, 2016. The production was directed by Zachary Florence and produced by Sabrina A. Bandali, with set and lighting design by Jennifer Lennon, sound design by Nick Carney, costume design by Erin Frances Gerofsky and fight design by Siobhan Richardson. John Fleming was the dialect coach and Robert Gontier was the voice coach. Courtney Pyke was the production manager, Marie-Claude Valiquet was the stage manager and Kristina Yusupov was the assistant stage manager and assistant producer. The cast included Bola Aiyeola, Lara Arabian, Victor Ertmanis, Ubah Guled, Constantine Karzis and Adriano Sobretodo Jr..
Media
Click here to read an article that appeared in the Globe and Mail.
Click here to read an article that appeared in Toronto Life.
Click here to read a review that appeared in the Toronto Star.
Click here to read a review that appeared in Now Magazine.
Click here to read a review that appeared in the Slotkin Letter.
Click here to read a review that appeared in the Theatre Reader.