Black Watch

Last fall, the National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch took New York by storm, arriving at St. Ann's Warehouse like "a blazing redeemer" and "a cause for hope" (The New York Times). It played for 23 performances at 100% capacity. We were sad that we could not reach out to the many people who wanted and needed to see this production. It simply sold out too quickly, and the clamor for more was loud and urgent. It would be a smashing gift to New York if Black Watch returned in the New Year. --John Heilpern, New YorkObserver, 1/1/2008 We agree. As our gift to New Yorkers, St. Ann's Warehouse and National Theatre of Scotland have joined together to present a two-month return engagement in October 2008. Here's a second chance to see this searing soldier's-eye-view of the Iraq war that takes audiences to the battlefield with a poetic power beyond the grasp of journalism, film or TV. The action veers seamlessly and imaginatively between pub-set interviews and in-the-moment deployment scenes, careening between past and present with hallucinatory immediacy to a live musical score that includes regimental folk songs and thrilling bagpipes. The physicality of Black Watch is extraordinary and brings war to shattering life, intimately portraying how members of this historic regiment dealt with an intense tour of duty in Iraq and with what it means to make the journey home again. Come join us for what Ben Brantley, of The New York Times, calls "an essential testament to the abiding relevance-and necessity-of theater." Sincerely, Susan Feldman, Artistic Director St. Ann's Warehouse