Part of the 2022 Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival
Cast: Adam Buksh, Nick Danan, Scott Kyle, Manjot Sumal
Director: Mark Jeary-Fairbairn
Writer: Mariem Omari
Producer: Callum Madge
Assistant Director: Laura Walker
Production & Stage Manager: Alma Lindenhovius
Movement Director: Skye Reynolds
Dramaturg: Stephen Barnes
Lighting Designer: Grant Anderson
Marketing & Digital Design: Leila Talmadge
Graphic Design: Lilian Ptacek
BSL interpreter: Iain Hodgetts
Running time: 75 minutes (no interval)
Age restriction: 14+ (contains strong language and adult themes, including suicide)
In association with Platform. Supported by Creative Scotland.
Biographies
GRANT ANDERSON
Grant is a lighting designer for the entertainment industry who’s work covers the worlds of theatre, music, events, fashion and architecture. He trained at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland receiving the Dean of Drama Award for Best Individual Work. Selected theatre credits include: Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, Light on the Shore (Edinburgh International Festival); The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (Unigram); The Steamie (Neil Laidlaw Productions); My Left Right Foot, Submarine Time Machine, One Mississippi, and To Begin (National Theatre of Scotland).
STEPHEN BARNES
Stephen is a writer, director, performer and filmmaker; whose work spans a wide range of disciplines, media and contexts. He has directed thirteen productions and authored fourteen produced plays for stage and screen.
Stephen has initiated and facilitated projects focussed on empowering participants to transcend their circumstances through creativity, in the UK and South Africa - including collaborations with The Playwrights Studio, Ankur Productions and the BBC. As well supporting a variety of creative artists and organisations individually, he is also the Artistic Director of 4word Creative Arts, and the Facilitator of Write Tron For All for the Tron Theatre in Glasgow.
Adam Buksh
Adam is a Glasgow based actor who has been working professionally since he graduated in 2009. He works mainly in Theatre (How to Make a Killing in Bollywood, Caesar, Macbeth) but has also done motion capture for the Bannockburn Exhibition, TV and Film (Scot Squad, The Break - Soul Journey, The Wife) and is currently a continuity announcer for STV.
Adam is very excited to be working again with Bijli and to bring One Mississippi to new audiences in Scotland.
Nick Danan
Nick was born and raised in Belfast and his extensive theatre credits include Quietly & The Turn of the Screw (Omnibus Theatre, London), Antony & Cleopatra (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (RSC), The Titanic Boys (Grand Opera House, Belfast), The Quare Fellow (Tricycle Theatre, London & UK Tour), The Shadow of a Gunman (Tricycle Theatre), This Lime Tree Bower (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry), Gym & Tonic (Hull Truck) and Juno & The Paycock (Leicester Haymarket). His Television credits include WPC56, Henry V and Safe. Nick is also Artistic Director of Strange Fish Theatre Company which brings great Irish plays to this side of the Irish Sea.
Mark Jeary-Fairbairn
Mark is a theatre maker working as an actor, playwright, director and producer. Mark grew up in a working-class family in London and trained as an actor at City Lit. Personal experience of addiction and trauma has influenced his practice – initially with the set-up of New Room Theatre. New Room was established to bring stories that are rarely heard to the stage. Mark then studied Classical and Contemporary Text (masters) at RCS and wrote his first play, Blackout, in 2013. A part autobiographical verbatim play about alcoholism and recovery – Blackout sold out on its first three shows in Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as in London, at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016, and as part of the Made In Scotland showcase in 2018. Blackout was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award. Since then Mark wrote his second play X and Y, and is currently working on new ideas around performance and neurodiversity since his own ADHD diagnosis last year. Mark works regularly with playwright Mariem Omari – as an actor, workshop facilitator and director, and was part of the original One Mississippi cast in 2017.
SCOTT KYLE
Scott is best known for his role as ‘Ross’ in the hit US television series Outlander. He has a string of successful stage, film and television credits to his name including a starring role on the big screen as ‘Clancy’ in Ken Loach’s The Angels’ Share. This led to a role portraying real life soldier ‘Corporal Stu Pearson’ in BAFTA nominated Kajaki/Kilo Two Bravo.
In 2010 Scott won The Stage Best Actor for his portrayal of ‘Billy’ in Singin’ I’m No a Billy, He’s a Tim.
ALMA SUA LINDENHOVIUS
Alma is a freelance Stage and Production Manager based in Edinburgh. She has worked for several festivals worldwide and works for theatre, dance and circus production in Scotland.
She joined Bijli Productions as Technical Stage Manager for the re-mounting and tour of One Mississippi in 2022.
Callum Madge
Callum trained in Arts Journalism, initially reviewing film and theatre and becoming Editor of the culture website TVBomb (now The Wee Review). In 2013 he started working in the theatre industry for Lung Ha Theatre Company. He is now the Engagement Manager for Birds of Paradise Theatre Company.
As a freelancer he has worked as a Project Manager for: National Theatre of Scotland; Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; Lyceum Theatre; and Traverse Theatre. In 2018 he produced Blackout by New Room Theatre, at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and in 2019 he was Engagement Producer on 8:8 by Mercimax, at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, part of the Swiss Arts Council's Edinburgh Selection.
Mariem Omari
Having grown up in Australia, Mariem moved to her father’s homeland in the Middle East to work as a humanitarian. This inspired her ongoing commitment to promoting stories that strengthen the voice for equality. Her next move was to her mother’s homeland – Scotland – where she has been working closely with ethnically diverse communities to explore issues often considered taboo. This has led to the creation of her socially engaged theatre and projects including If I Had A Girl…, One Mississippi, and A Knot A Day, that explore issues such as migration and displacement, honour violence, and mental health. Her writing also spans essays and creative non-fiction, and she continues to work internationally training Women Human Rights Defenders in the Middle East and North Africa. Her latest play, Revolution Days, showcased in 2021 and is about her experiences as an Aid Worker; and her audio piece The Jinn in Me about Jinn beliefs and their impact on mental health broadcasted on BBC platforms in 2021.
Skye Reynolds
Skye is an Australian-born, Scottish-based dance artist, performance maker and educator working across multidisciplinary platforms in the UK and abroad. Her creative practice draws upon theatre, comedy and the politics of real life. Projects & collaborations include working with: Curious Seed, Janis Claxton Dance, Jo Fong & Derevo. Skye has been a dance artist in residence with Imaginate & a Movement Director with National Theatre of Scotland. She was invited to Iran to co-devise new dance-theatre with British Council / Fadj International Festival. Skye received a #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursary in 2021 to develop new solo work, and is currently creating "S/He into Flesh" with Khamlane Halsackda, a Sweden-Tramway co-production 2022-23.
MANJOT SUMAL
Manjot began his career in community theatre, and since becoming a professional actor has appeared in numerous theatre productions. He has guested on popular Scottish sitcom Still Game (BBC Scotland) and has regular appearances in Fags, Mags and Bags (BBC Radio 4). He is best known for playing PC Surjit Singh in BBC Scotland’s Scot Squad, and is a cast member of CBBC's The Demon Headmaster. Manjot wrote and performed in How To Make A Killing In Bollywood with Umar Ahmed, and was on the BBC Writersroom New Voices 2020 scheme. Manjot would like to thank Mariem and Mark for allowing him to reprise the role of "K" in One Mississippi.
LAURA WALKER
Laura is delighted to be part of the One Mississippi team as her first venture in professional theatre. She was offered this opportunity through Theatre of Diversion as a prize for directing an original monologue, Turning Point.
Laura is excited to start her fourth year studying English at the University of St Andrews in September 2022, and hopes to pursue more opportunities in Scottish theatre.
The production thanks…
One Mississippi is based on a collection of interviews from men across Scotland. This production would not have been possible without the stories of these incredible individuals. To all of you, we offer our heartfelt thanks.
With special thanks to Andrew Eaton-Lewis and the Mental Health Foundation, Tony Donachy, John McCormack, Steven Hart, Stephen Skrynka, Dawn Storey and The Revelator team, Maeve Grindall and SeeMe, and Ania Urbanowska and Nelisa Alcalde.
