Marking their first time collaboration, National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) have joined with Artistic Director of Lepus Productions Martin Green to co-produce a new play, KELI.
Best known as the virtuoso accordionist in the folk trio Lau, Martin Green has spent the past two years on a journey into the world of brass bands, culminating in this staging of KELI. Making his professional debut as a playwright, Green was inspired by conversations he had for the BBC Radio 4 series ‘Love, Spit and Valve Oil’ that explored the phenomenon of modern brass banding and featured interviews with members of brass bands that have inspired aspects of the characters in the play. In 2022 KELI was commissioned by The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh as a three-part audio drama.
Making its world premiere as a stage play, KELI tells the story of a fiery, sharp-witted teenager in a former mining town. Coal means little to Keli, but the mines left music in the blood of this place. As the best player her brass band has ever had, music is easy but everything else is a fight. Feeling trapped in small-town life, pressure mounts. When the chance to change everything arises, can Keli keep a lid on it all? Marking 40 years since the miners’ strikes, this is a show about community, creativity, and the power of music.
KELI will feature brass band music from Green’s acclaimed album SPLIT THE AIR and each performance will feature a live brass band performance from a leading Scottish brass band or ensemble of leading brass band players. NTS and Lepus Productions are delighted that Whitburn Band, one of Scotland’s leading brass bands formed in 1870, as well as Kingdom Brass, that is an amalgamation of the Cowdenbeath and the Kelty & Blairadam Bands, will be part of this Scottish tour, sustaining ongoing relationships with Scottish brass bands and the communities they represent.
Also marking her NTS debut is director Bryony Shanahan who will be working with Performing Musical Director Louis Abbott and small brass ensemble made up of Stacey Ghent on Flügelhorn; Hanna Mbuya on Tuba and Karen Fishwick on Euphonium. The cast comprises Liberty Black in the title role of Keli; Karen Fishwick as Jayne; Olivia Hemmati as Amy/Saskia; Billy Mack as Willie Knox and Phil McKee as Brian.
Green’s journey began by chance near his home in Midlothian. Following a poster advertising ‘BRASS IN THE PARK,’ he discovered a self-sustaining world of music-making that, like the folk tradition, had retained its social function and was part of the warp and weft of the communities that performed it.
Preview performance is at Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling on Saturday 10th May before opening the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh on Thursday 15th May 2025 after 2 preview dates then touring to Dundee Rep Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th May; Perth Theatre Wednesday 4th to Saturday 7th June; Tramway, Glasgow Wednesday 11th to Saturday 14th June 2025
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 