AC/DC said 'It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock'n'roll', but Galway actor and theatre maker John Rogers has discovered in his new show how there is a long way to go if you want a cup of tea.
Earl Grey Imperial or It’s A Long Way To Go For A Cup Tea will be staged in The Secret Garden Café, William Street, on Wednesday at 8.30pm. Following an artists residency in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka, last year - in association with Galway 2020 and UZ Arts Glasgow - Rogers has devised a tea ceremony which celebrates the world-wide, ancient tradition of making and sharing tea, and telling stories.
Earl Grey Imperial investigates Sri Lanka's links with Europe via its deep harbours and its location on a major trading route, as well as its later enforcement into the British Empire, and examines the positives and negatives of all these for the island. Rogers uses the frame of a devised tea ceremony to connect with the audience through a fusion of storytelling, ritual, and chant, accompanied by soundscapes collected from his time in Sri Lanka.
Admission is free but donations are welcome. Seating is limited and early arrival is advised. See www.johnrogerstheatre.com And to get you in the mood, here's a great song in praise of the beverage:
