Gecko announce tour of new production Kin in 2023 and 2024

Physical theatre ensemble Gecko is to embark on an exhilarating nationwide tour with their captivating new creation Kin.

Beginning this autumn, the tour will culminate in a remarkable engagement at the renowned National Theatre in January 2024, marking an iconic milestone in the company’s illustrious history.

Kin draws its profound inspiration from the remarkable odyssey undertaken by Artistic Director Amit Lahav’s grandmother, Leah, and her family as they braved the arduous passage from Yemen to Palestine, escaping the clutches of persecution. A full nine decades later, Lahav’s introspective lens focuses on the monumental decision that altered his family’s trajectory, setting them on a path towards a brighter future.

Amit Lahav, Gecko’s Artistic Director, said; “Every production that I create starts with a personal reflection combined with a current wider societal issue. In 2017, I visited my grandmother in Israel where we talked about her journey from Yemen to Palestine to escape persecution, as well as my family’s history more broadly. Kin was ultimately inspired by the desire to delve deeper into the complex mix of migration stories that make up who I am. Migration is a facet of human existence – we all have migration stories whether we’re aware of them or whether they’re more distant, and that excites me because we have the potential to encourage a profoundly positive, celebratory voyage towards empathy. We exist both where we’ve come from and where we’re going; this is what I wanted to explore through the creation of Kin.”

Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre added: “I’ve been following Gecko’s work for a number of years and have a growing admiration for their dynamic and fearless approach to story in motion. Allied to this their commitment to internationalism, with completely integrated educational work, as well as their deeply embedded UK wide touring ethos, is hugely impressive. Their presence at the National Theatre is overdue, and we look forward very much to them being with us.”

Commissioned by the National Theatre, the tour will visit Storyhouse Chester, CAST Doncaster, Oxford Playhouse, Nottingham Playhouse and Brighton Dome before the National’s Lyttleton Theatre from 12 – 27 January 2024.

For more information and tickets, visit www.geckotheatre.com