I enjoyed the themes of nationalism, the idea of stories in the earth, those who gatekeep histories and the communities of those places.
Andy Cannon has been writing, performing and directing performances especially for children and their families for over twenty five years. As part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Andy presented Tales of a Grandson; the story of Scotland’s past through the eyes of a ten year old boy on an odyssey with his grandfather back in the summer of 1973. Together they travelled in an Hillman Imp to many locations in both time and space in our nation’s past.
One particular brief excursion on that epic journey has continued to intrigue him; the battle of Mons Graupius, a celebrated encounter between the Caledonians and the might of the Roman Empire. Mons Graupius has captivated historians and antiquarians for hundreds of years – not least because exactly where in the North East of Scotland the battle occurred is still a matter of intense scholarly dispute to this day!
Leading the Caledonians was the first ‘Scot’ to ever be recorded in history: Calgacus! Although largely unknown today – apparently two thousand years ago – Calgacus was celebrated throughout the known world as the heroic leader of the ‘Last People on Earth’ – the Caledonians. The Romans were in awe of his stirring speech to his warriors on the eve of the battle – a battle that would leave nearly all of them slaughtered in defence of that noblest of causes – freedom!
Conveys the humanity of these ancient Scottish characters.
Open Road is working with Andy to create The Last People On Earth, the story of Mons Graupius which will bring together storytelling, original music and the latest archaeological discoveries to try and unearth a fragment of truth about a day nearly 2000 years ago that – arguably – shaped a nation.
Here’s what Andy has to say about The Last People on Earth:
Mons Graupius has captivated historians and antiquarians for hundreds of years. The Roman historian Tacitus told of Calgacus, leader of the Caledonians and his celebrated address to his warriors on the eve of the battle of Mons Graupius. This heroic call to arms has echoed down through the subsequent two thousand years to the present day – while arguably shaping many a nation defining deceleration in its wake. Yet how many of the descendants of these heroic North Britons have even heard of Mons Graupius, Calgagus or their forefathers ultimate glorious defeat at the sword of the mighty Roman Empire?
I found meaningful the mediating power of storytelling to sift through ‘facts’ and ‘fiction’ and challenge audiences to consider ‘truth’ as sitting beyond such a binary.
Meet the Creative Team
Andy Cannon: Writer & Director
Andy Cannon has been writing, performing and directing performances especially for children and their families for more than 25 years. Back in 1996 he set up the Wee Stories Theatre Company with the simple idea of bringing a traditional storytelling approach to the traditional theatre setting. Through collaborating with many leading musicians, dancers and visual artists they were able to create and develop a direct theatrical storytelling style with a genuine audience engagement that proved to be extremely popular with both young and old. More recently he has been developing this style of performance by working in more intimate settings as an independent storytelling artist.
Wendy Weatherby: Musican & Composer
Wendy Weatherby is a singer, cellist, composer and teacher who has been performing music of many styles since graduating from the RSAMD (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ) way back in 1983. She has mainly concentrated on Scottish music and composition, and has taught both cello and Scots song at workshops throughout Scotland. As a composer, she has written extensively for theatre and has had two major commissions from Celtic Connections: Daybreak on the World’s Edge – settings of the Perthshire poet William Soutar’s work, for cello quartet and male voices, and A Scots Quair – an adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s epic trilogy, featuring a large cast of Scots traditional musicians and singers, including Rod Paterson and Julie Fowlis. As a performer, Wendy has appeared as a guest on many recordings and has three solo albums. She is Musical Director of two choirs.
Bryan Angus: Designer
Bryan Angus is a printmaker and painter based in Banff on the Moray Firth. His work is inspired by the landscape and people of north east Scotland where his family is firmly rooted. He currently exhibits across the UK and occasionally abroad, with his work in public and private collections. In the not too distant past he was a freelance theatre designer, a period that influenced the dramatic lighting in many of his pieces. He is very much enjoying getting out of his studio to work in a creative team again.
Supported by The Doric Board.
