KIN

KIN was remounted in September 2024 before embarking on a tour of 5 venues. With sell out shows at the Dukes, we also visited The Queens Hall Hexham, Theatre Clwyd, Hull Truck and Alnwick Playhouse with fabulous audiences and a terrific welcome from each of the theatres. THANK YOU!

Our final week at HOME in Manchester was astonishing, playing to 90% capacity and a sold out matinee. We had a ball and want to thank everyone who made this such an extraordinary success.

Roberta and Kerry were fantastic and audiences just loved their performances, absolute stars in the safe hands of our superb director Sue Jenkins; what a pleasure to all be together for that final week with the most upbeat Stage Manager I’ve ever worked with Ella Kirk and so thrilled to show off the talents of lighting designer Katy Errington and Set Designer Rachel Walton-Daniels with audiences.

I believe there’s an audience for the show. Set in 2020, it is timeless and commercial and could easily tour again. Also there continues to be a lack of great contemporary parts for older women.

Interestingly our audiences were made up of a range of ages and by no means all-women.

https://northwestend.com/kin-theatr-clwyd/

"The play showcases powerful female voices with Kerr and Willison-Parry, each bringing their characters’ complexities to life.” ****

https://www.theatrereviewsnorth.com/post/__kin 

"Kin is a thoroughly captivating play" ****

https://canal-st.co.uk/2024/11/01/review-kin-at-homemcr/

“There are shocking reveals which made the audience gasp and the play left us talking about it long after we left.”

https://ilovemanchester.com/kin-home-review-manchester

“A darkly comic play exploring family secrets, loss, and unexpected revelations, with sharp wit and huge performances.”

http://liveartalive.com/2024/10/31/kin/ “

“This is gutsy, character led drama written to celebrate story telling for women of a certain age and it delivers on all fronts.”

https://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/arts-and-culture/31102024-review-kin-at-home-is-gripping-with-revelation-after-revelation/

“Kin speaks volumes about the empowerment of women and the various ways they are mistreated.”

https://jildysauce.wordpress.com/2024/10/31/kin/

“Kin is an engrossing and absorbing play, a deftly performed two-hander, the two actors, Roberta Kerr and Kerry Willison-Parry, pulling it off with aplomb”.

https://stageylady.wordpress.com/2024/11/01/family-secrets/

“This is a masterful work by Mackie who puts not just older women at the centre of the story but also helps underline that they are the victims left to pick up the pieces after the perpetrators are often dead and gone. This is a gem of a play and definitely one not to miss.”

Delighted to confirm the Tour of KIN starts in September 2024!

Dukes Lancaster         Sept 10th - 13th

Queens's Hall Hexham   Sept 20th & 21st

Hull Truck Hull          Sept 25th

Theatre Clwyd          Sept 3pth & Oct 1st

Alnwick Playhouse      Oct 15th

HOME Manchester      Oct 29th- Nov 2nd

Many thanks to the Dukes Theatre for their continued support, our generous sponsor South Lakes Hotels and the KIN company; Sue Jenkins, Roberta Kerr, Kerry Willison-Parry, Rachel Walton-Daniels, Katy Errington, Ella Kirk and Hannah Ellis-Ryan & Kayleigh Hawkins from HER Productions

Following the success of our R&D and try-out shows of KIN in 2021/22 I’ve been working towards a tour of my play for Autumn 2024. With confirmed bookings including HOME in Manchester and several other interested venues, the Arts Council England funding application has now been submitted!!!

I’m delighted to announce that Best Girl Productions has partnered with the producer Hannah Ellis-Ryan and HER Productions! Hannah is a leading independent theatre producer of female-led work in the North and she brings energy, experience and redoubtable marketing skills to KIN. (www.herproductions.co.uk) We are both very excited about bringing KIN to a wider audience and connecting with Creative Community leaders in the tour venues too.

Here’s Lisa Allen the Head of Creative Development at HOME Manchester

We’re looking forward to KIN coming to HOME and working with Christine. The engagement ideas she brings from her original production fits perfectly with community development programme Home From Home, working in Gorton/Moss Side/Hulme and Wythenshawe. A strand of this work is women’s groups, and we would look to bring them to see the play at HOME and build follow-up work around it linked to the play’s themes. We recognise the creative possibilities they offer to our groups, who are now keen to develop their own creative skills. Both the KIN Connection podcasts and 100 Word Monologues are a useful way-in to developing their confidence, skills and sense of community. We see this as an opportunity to work in partnership with Andy Barry, who leads the Elders work at the Royal Exchange, there would be an opportunity to extend an invitation to his Elders groups to see the show as well as meeting Christine at one of their Makers Monday sessions.

And here’s Carl Woodward Director of the Dukes Creative Communities Team

Working with Christine on KIN was essential in enabling the creative consultation with our local communities of Over 65s and pivotal in the journey to receiving funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. Now the programme is up and running with Prime Time Groups in Lancaster AND in Morecambe, Christine is a regular visitor to their sessions, attending their social events and of course the sharing of their work. These free activities will support participants to develop creative skills, strengthen social ties and fulfil a gap in local provision. 

After writing, recording and hearing the feedback, I found a confidence I didn't know I had. Andi Robertson

It was really tricky saying lines when we filmed, even though I had written them, and am used to speaking to an audience as a lecturer. I was using a new bit of brain - hooray! Lindsay Robertson

In Christine Mackie's excellent workshop I was taught how a monologue can be transformed and I was so surprised by the final video performance. I could be hooked! Mimi Walder

Working on the 100 word monologue was really rewarding. ‘Kin’ made me reflect on what happens when you start to doubt someone... and it was satisfying to describe an actual event. Tina Smith

The Dukes Theatre Lancaster continue to believe in the play and in supporting a local artist and emerging writer. This level of encouragement and their confidence in KIN is amazing. I’m so very grateful to them, and our audiences, whose extraordinary feedback you can read on this website.