We sat down with Umar Butt who recently developed JOLT, a powerful new play explored through Research & Development at ARC Stockton. His work blends storytelling and performance to create innovative theatrical experiences that examine endurance, identity and adaptation within contemporary society. Drawing inspiration from the rich and diverse communities of the Tees Valley, Umar’s practice is rooted in sparking dialogue, reflection and connection between neighbours and audiences alike.
JOLT is described as exploring endurance and adaptation in contemporary society. What specific social or emotional pressures did you feel compelled to respond to in this piece, and why now?
Protest + Violence = Riot.
I was working in Sauchiehall street in a confectionary store the evening 400 protesters were kettled there, when we decided to go to war against Iraq in 2003. We put the shutter down but the glass windows still broke. The three workers (us) sought refuge in the cellar. The stamping, the bashing and the cacophony of sound was all around us. We were a friendly chatty bunch. But this was the first time we all sat in silence. Our senses were heightened, we were petrified of what was going on upstairs, and outside in the street only amplified the feeling of dread inside each of us.
Once the stamping, shouting and the noises of everything stopped we went upstairs; I opened the shutter and saw an elderly couple with a little brush and a plastic shovel picking broken glass and putting it in the bin. That was breath, my body relaxed and I thought ‘that is resilience for me’.
Ever since then, whether if I want to no not, every time I would hear of a riot – whether if it was in Glasgow, or Newcastle, London, or in the Tees Valley (really close to home), We had two big protests that turned into Riots within the Tees Valley last year – those senses, that fear, and Resilience become all consuming. And I was asked to do something, say something about it.
As a first-generation migrant, themes of home, identity, and belonging recur across your work. How does JOLT develop or challenge those themes differently from your earlier plays?
The themes of home, Identity, and belonging will always find a way to exist in my writing until the lay of our land changes. Even when I deliberately try to change my narrative, the story and the form might be different, there might be bigger themes that I am excavating, however, if I want to be the change that I want to see, and the reason I picked up the pen originally, it was/is to give these themes prevalence. Now I am happy for my writing to keep discovering the hidden histories of global stories close to home, which help neighbours understand each other, through highlighting ‘home, identity, and belonging’.
JOLT does have an added ingredient of Resilience coming out of Riot, as the theme which is my Intuitive gut feeling.
The R&D phase places strong emphasis on dialogue with Tees Valley communities. How do those local encounters materially shape the dramaturgy of JOLT, rather than simply inform its context?
For JOLT, I owe it to myself and the Tees Valley communities to put emphasis on dialogue, before the drama. I was there at the clean-up the morning after the riot in Middlesbrough. There were so many people from many different cultures, different backgrounds, different ages, from all over Teesside, and surprisingly and excitingly with different views on what happened, why it happened, how it happened, the night before. The idea of writing JOLT came from them. This is an opportunity for me to connect and re-connect with my local communities because I am passionate about making work that is made with, made for, and made by communities.
I will have open rehearsal where people can drop in to see what is being made. There will be time and space for open dialogue.
I will be holding workshops for people to attend. There will also be a safe space for them to speak, or ask questions, and/or share stories. If people find writing easier, they can do that too. Whatever works best for individuals, I will try to comply to their needs.
You work fluidly across writing, directing, and performing. During this R&D process, where do you see your primary creative tension sitting: in the text, the performance language, or the relationship with the audience?
My focus in the R&D, is on the Research side of things, dates, times, and time lines, and speaking with communities. Selfishly, because I will be working with incredibly talented creatives and minds who are not afraid to ask the difficult, yet important question, and who are used to deep diving into this melting pot of a subject that is riot and resilience. Also, to tell a story that is so close to home, and the subject matter so vast, selflessly I want to include and speak to the diverse communities of the Tess Valley.
Much of your work argues for theatre as a catalyst for social understanding. What would success look like for JOLT beyond the rehearsal room or final production?
I’d like my children to grow up in a more accepting world. A more understanding neighbourhood. I’d like JOLT to be a catalyst for change within our diverse communities, to see our differences as a strength and what can we achieve if we all work together, because I believe that it does take a whole village to raise a child.