The Frontliners looks at the challenges of helping refugees amid Vancouver's housing crisis, November 10 to 13
Zahida Rahemtulla’s play was winner of 2022’s Vancouver Fringe Festival’s New Play in Development Prize
Vancouver Fringe Festival and Playwrights Theatre Centre present a workshop production of The Frontliners at the Waterfront Theatre from November 10 to 13
VANCOUVERITES GET THEIR first look at the winner of the Vancouver Fringe Festival’s New Play in Development Prize for 2022, when The Frontliners gets a workshop presentation this week.
Set in January 2016, Zahida Rahemtulla’s play is a timely look at the Syrian refugee crisis in Canada—and the special challenges of working in a refugee placement agency during Vancouver’s housing crisis.
The titular three workers are in the throes of resettling the first wave of 25,000 Syrian refugees, battling Vancouver’s housing crunch to move families out of an East Van hotel. The frontline workers put in long overtime hours, navigating a frenzy of journalists, overly-keen do-gooder groups, bureaucracy, an impossible amount of donations, angry landlords, internet trolls, and the hopes and wishes of families themselves.
The upcoming workshop production includes an original score composed and created by Syrian-Iraqi musician and oud player Farouk Al-Sajee with Ruby Singh. Set design is by Megan Lane, and lighting design and technical direction by Jamie Sweeney. Tanya Mathivanan (of Aenigma Theatre) directs.
The New Play in Development prize prepares playwright and play for a premiere with the Vancouver Fringe Festival over an 18-month partnership. At this November workshop production, its creators try out the design and script for the first time, and after this, all en route to a premiere with a company in the future. The first draft of The Frontliners was written at the inaugural Arts Club Emerging Playwrights’ Unit in 2019.
You can find tickets here.
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