We Are One (2010)

Intro

A charity fundraising event, created by Mark Rylance and performed at the Apollo Theatre, London: 18 April 2010

Cast included: Gillian Anderson, Julie Christie, Mackenzie Crook, Edward Fox, Emilia Fox, Derek Jacobi, Mark Rylance, Danny Sapani, John Sessioms, Imelda Staunton, Juliet Stevenson, Zoë Wanamaker, James Wilby, Bruce Dickinson, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, William Lyons, Arngeir Hauksson, and members of The Factory theatre group with Sarah Moyle (Dean Ashton, Catherine Bailey, Tristan Beint, Scott Brooksbank, Leila Crerar, Madeleine Hyland, Rhys Meredith, Simon Muller, Marianne Oldham, Jonathan Olivier, Elena Pavli, Paul Sharma, and John Trindle).

Overview

For We Are One, a series of well known performers gave readings by or about members of tribal communities, with particular emphasis on the challenges they face when trying to preserve their way of life.

The stage set (the same used for Jerusalem, the play in which We Are One's creator Mark Rylance and his colleague Mackenzie Crook were starring at the time) resembled a dark forest, with the actors and musicians gathered round a campfire in front of a camper van, as if having relinquished many of the trappings of modern life.

Towards the end of the evening, Zoë gave an expressive reading of David Whyte's poem 'Arrivals', in which two Ethiopian women are overwhelmed by a US airport.

This one-off show raised thousands of pounds for Survival International, which supports tribal peoples around the world. It was described as a 'unique and revolutionary' event by the charity's director, Stephen Corry.

Crew

Director: Mark Rylance

Notes

Now an ambassador for Survival International, Mark Rylance first heard about the charity when working alongside Zoë's father, Sam Wanamaker, on the project to reconstruct Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London (see 'Tribal gathering with Mark Rylance' interview).

Other charity shows in which Zoe has performed include The Women (2001) and One Knight Only (2010).

Press coverage

'Stars line up in West End to celebrate tribal peoples' - Survival International

'Rylance, Firth, Christie, Spacey & More Set for We Are One Fundraiser, 4/18' - BroadwayWorld.com West End

'Galas: Mark Rylances Survival, Sonnet 155 Album' - Whatsonstage.com

'Rylance stages Survival fundraiser' - The Official London Theatre Guide

'Sinead Cusack, Michael Gambon, Mark Rylance, Kevin Spacey, et al. Set for WE ARE ONE Benefit' - TheaterMania

Survival International published an account of the show: 'We Are One: how many Inuit words for snow?'

Merchandise

We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples, edited by Joanna Eede (book published to mark Survival International's 40th anniversary)