Rocket Post special free performances in Harris

Rocket Post is currently touring Scotland, playing in community centres and arts spaces.

On October 25th, and at the end of the tour, the show will receive two special free performances at the Tarbert Community Centre on Harris, in order for the show to be filmed in front of a live audience.

This filming is part of a first partnership with the Screen Machine and The Space which will see the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Rocket Post appearing on the big screen, touring to remote communities in 2017 and 2018 with Regional Screen Scotland’s popular mobile cinema.

Harris has a particular resonance with the story of Gerhard Zucker and his rocket mail idea for delivering letters at high speed over long distances. Zucker travelled to the Western Isles in 1934 to experiment by sending two rockets full of letters on a 1600 metre flight path between the isles of Harris and Scarp. He stayed at the Harris Hotel during his time on the island.

Rocket Post marks the first time that the National Theatre of Scotland has brought a broadcast screening of a theatre production to cinema audiences.

It continues the ethos of the Company to tour widely throughout Scotland, to reach as many audiences as possible with their work and to ensure that remote communities get access to their National Theatre’s programme.

This is the first National Theatre of Scotland on Screen project and marks the beginning of the Company producing work on different platforms, offering innovative new ways for audiences to experience National Theatre of Scotland productions. The filming for broadcast has been made possible through the support of The Space working with Creative Scotland.

Rocket Post playfully tells an extraordinary true story, packed with specially arranged songs, celebrating one man’s ambitious endeavour and the joyous discoveries that can happen when everything goes wrong: a story full of humour, heart and hope for the future.

Gaelic song and spoken word also features in the production.