With text by Roy Williams and Katie Ebner-Landy, the unique event took place on Sunday 29 October on the Tyne Bridge and in venues and streets across the city centre.
Celebrating the Fiftieth anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King’s visit to Tyneside to receive an honorary degree from Newcastle University, Freedom on the Tyne dramatized epic narratives of historic civil rights battles in USA, India, South Africa and UK and was performed by hundreds of local participants.
His work for Dash Arts includes What We Did to Weinstein (Menier Chocolate Factory, 2005), As You Like It (Leicester Curve, 2009) and A Midsummer Night's Dream, commissioned by the British Council and created in India (2006-2008): an international success known widely as The Indian Dream, the production subsequently completed two tours of India, extensive tours of the UK, Australia and North America, two seasons at Stratford-upon-Avon and a season at the Roundhouse in London.
Commissioned by Luminato Festival, Toronto, and produced by Dash Arts, the production was developed over two years of research and rehearsal in North Africa and the Middle East.
Created with a cast and creative team drawn from the Arabic speaking world and performed in three languages over six hours, One Thousand and One Nights opened in June 2011 in Toronto and had its European premier at Edinburgh International Festival in August where the Independent hailed it as "an instant classic of engaged storytelling… a rediscovered literary masterpiece".