Noman's Land at Bristol Beacon

Production at Bristol Beacon

The play intertwines the lives of refugees, the homeless, and those who try to help them, set against the backdrop of a cold, Covid-emptied London, leading up to Christmas 2021. The story follows Noman (Nu’maan), a young man from Mosul, now a failed asylum seeker living on the streets of London. Once a boy fleeing war, he is now a man with no home. As Christmas approaches, Noman struggles to find meaning in a city that refuses to see him. Haunted by his past and struggling with his present, Noman exists in a “no man’s land” between reality and dreams, where the ghosts of his journey – refugees, lost friends, and mythical figures – converge around him. Developed in collaboration with Bristol Sanctuary Theatre, Bristol Beacon, City of Bristol College, UWE, Cotham Church, and Bristol Refugee Festival, the project unites refugee and migrant students with their peers from UWE, refugee musicians and visual artists, and professional artists. Inspired by real experiences, and written by Fahrudin Salihbegovic, a UWE lecturer with a refugee background, Noman’s Land is both a deeply personal story and a universal exploration of exile.

Cast:
UWE: Morgan Boyce, Lottie Hutton, Oliver Mitchell, Leilani Turner, Duncan Bennett, Renata Mendes, Rhys Polis-Smith, Clara Hoehlmueller
City of Bristol College: Olga Maslova, Neda Salamat Ravandi, Nazanin Mohammadi, Youssef Mahros, Amirali Ahsant, Dembo Jagana
Mohammad Saeed Al-Sabagh, Moqadas Zurmaty, Huda Hassan, Younis Ahmed, Abdullahi Hussain
Writer/Concept: Fahrudin Salihbegovic
Facilitator: Hannah Kew
Musicians: Özcan Ateş, Laura Wilson, Mircea Mutulescu
Producer: Lu Bristow
Illustrations Artist: Soroush Abadi
Technical Support: Tam Kent, Rachel Eames, and Duncan Bennett
Assistant Director: Dillan Pusey

Partners: Bristol Beacon, UWE, City of Bristol College, Bristol Sanctuary Theatre, Cotham Parish Church and Bristol Refugee Festival

Special thanks to:
Good Chance Theatre, Revd David Stephenson, Sally Seaman, Neil Wakeman, and Paul Hamlyn Foundation