The Container Collective & SummerWorks Festival Present Canadian Premiere of THE CONTAINER, 8/7 - 8/17

Five migrants from Somalia, Afghanistan and Turkey have paid an Agent to smuggle them across Europe and into England. Inside a shipping container parked behind the Theatre Centre, the Container Collective invites Toronto audiences to experience the claustrophobic, dark, and cramped conditions that that five refugees endure in order to start a new life. Extremely limited seating is available for shows August 7-17th as part of the SummerWorks Festival. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.summerworks.ca or by calling 416.907.0468.

THE CONTAINER is a dramatic telling of the stories behind the statistics about human smuggling: it is a deeply theatrical portrayal of migration in the face of impossible choices, high stakes and the desperate hope for a better life. THE CONTAINER dramatizes the final hours of the migrants' journey, bringing an audience closer than any camera: with freedom so close, what price will they pay to reach their goal?

Clare Bayley's THE CONTAINER was presented inside a shipping container at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, winning the Scotsman Fringe First Award and Amnesty International's Freedom of Expression Award. It was remounted at the Young Vic in London to critical acclaim in 2009 and revived again in 2011 for Refugee Week.

Under the direction of Zachary Florence (Gwen Powers, WORKhouse Theatre; Composer, Come Back, Little Sheba, Shaw Festival; The Passion of Adele Hugo, Eastern Front Theatre), this all-star cast includes Bola Aiyeola ('da Kink in My Hair, Global; Death and the King's Horseman, Royal Exchange UK; The Beatification of Area Boy, West Yorkshire Playhouse UK), Lara Arabian (Hallaj, Modern Times; Little Mosque on the Prairie, CBC; Burning, Burning, feature film by Hrant Aliank), Constantine Karzis (Orphan Black, Space Channel; Breaking the Code, Cleveland Playhouse; Man Vs., TIFF 2014), Adriano Sobretodo Jr. (Birth of Frankenstein, Litmus Theatre; The Strain, FX; Covert Affairs, USA), Sugith Varughese (Remember, Atom Egoyan; Orphan, Warner Bros.; Mission to Mars, Touchstone/Spyglass) and introducing Ubah Guled (Etobicoke School for the Performing Arts) making her professional debut.

Set and lighting design by Jennifer Lennon (Bingo, Factory Theatre; Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, BARO Theatre Company; Killer Business the Musical, Torrent Productions/Next Stage 2014). Sound design by Nick Carney (PTTP Apprenticeship with Richard Feren; Production Manager/Designer, Straight Camp Theatre Collective; Stumble, Top and Stand, Buddies/Queer Pride 2014). Costume design by Erin Gerofsky (Design Assistant, Shaw Festival 2012-13 seasons; The Speedy, Unspun Theatre/World Stage; Rifles, Praxis Theatre/Next Stage 2014). Stage managed by Meredith Henry (Chasing Margaret Flatwood, Theatre Awakening; Hackerlove, Cabaret Company; dirty butterfly, Bound to Create). Produced by Sabrina A. Bandali (Between a Word and Thought, Acting UpStage; Actor, The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night, Nightwood Theatre Lawyer Show).

The Container Collective was formed to bring together artists of diverse backgrounds who are passionate about presenting Clare Bayley's drama of migration and human smuggling to Toronto audiences.

Show Information for THE CONTAINER

Venue: This Site Specific show will be performed inside a shipping container* located behind the Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen Street West, Toronto (west of Dovercourt)

Warnings: *Not suitable for people prone to claustrophobia. The temperature inside the shipping container may be quite warm as there is no air conditioning. Flashlights will be used which may cause problems for people with sensitivities to flashing lights. EXTREMELY limited seating.

Dates & Times:

Thursday August 7, 5:00pm & 7:30pm

Friday August 8, 5:00pm & 7:30pm

Saturday August 9, 2:30pm & 5:00pm

Sunday August 10, 2:30pm & 5:00pm

Tuesday August 12, 5:00pm & 7:30pm

Wednesday August 13, 5:00pm & 7:30pm

Friday August 15, 5:00pm & 7:30pm

Saturday August 16, 2:30pm & 5:00pm

Sunday August 17, 2:30pm & 5:00pm

Tickets: $15 for a single pass ticket.

Available online at www.summerworks.ca, in person at The Theatre Centre Box Office 1115 Queen St. West (Aug 5-17th,10am-7pm), or by phone calling the Lower Ossington Box Office at 416.915.6747 (10am-5pm).

Clare Bayley's The Container was the winner of the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2007.

"Devastating... dramatizes the terrifying experience [of illegal migration] as one of the key journeys of our time... electrifying drama" - The Scotsman

"Riveting, eloquent drama" - The Observer

"As a striking crystallisation of the migrant experience, THE CONTAINER is memorable and vital." - The Independent