Details

On the evening of the 18th November 1978, 918 US citizens committed mass suicide in a secluded settlement in the Guyanese rainforest. This event has since been referred to as The Jonestown Massacre. White Night is a documentary play by Nick Birchill attempting to retell the 'whole story' of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre. Spoken through the mouths of three performers, Nick draws on his experiences and reasoning behind the hours and hours of research into this morbid subject matter. In his attempt to explore the ethical challenges of representing the ?true' stories of those whose own voices were lost to this tragedy, Nick presents the story of the Jonestown Massacre paralleled with the story of the writer who attempts to retell it. The play takes a bold, poetic and daringly honest look at one of the greatest human tragedies of the 20th Century; not only exploring the impact and significance of the massacre itself, but also the ethical challenges of attempting to creatively document, represent and re-imagine the stories of those who lost their lives in this real human tragedy. Performed by a talented ensemble of local young actors, White Night is a brave piece of documentary theatre that marks the professional writing debut for Nick's unique and innovative theatrical style.

Creatives/Company

Author: Nick Birchill