How To Be Lucky

Year 10 were very lucky as they were treated to a performance of ‘How To Be Lucky’ by the An Invisible Man Theatre Company.

The production formed part of the Learning for Life Programme, tackling the issue of Syrian refugees in a powerful, emotional and thought provoking way.

Focussing on the story of Anwar, played by actor Nicholas Gauci, the character’s journey was delivered through a series of emotional and engaging monologues that described the character’s journey from Syria to Northallerton. With a simple set, enhanced by video screens that acted as backdrops and music that helped create mood, Gauci created a range of environments and conveyed the range of emotions the character experienced through his vocal and physical skills. This was made more powerful knowing this story was based on real experiences of Syrian refugees who have entered this country.

During the production, Anwar’s story was broken up by a series of challenging audience interactions led by the company director, Stephen Burke. His use of thought provoking questions and anecdotes asked the students to consider issues such as access to news, asylum and refugees, and their attitudes towards the character’s story.

Throughout the nearly 2 hours of the production, the Year 10 remained fully engaged and presented themselves in a very positive way, which was praised by the company themselves.

Overall this was a piece of theatre that has hopefully made our students rethink their understanding of foreign conflict and those affected by it, along with the journeys and sacrifices these people make to be safe.