Hatred will not have the last word in Lockerbie.”
The Women of Lockerbie by Deborah Brevoort will come alive in a gut-wrenching and provocative performance at the Brown County Playhouse.
The Women of Lockerbie is based on the tragic bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 a fatal crash that resulted in 270 known deaths. It is still known as the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the United Kingdom.
The play is told through the perspective of the first-hand witnesses of the crash, the women of Lockerbie. These women were also known as the “Laundry Ladies of Lockerbie” because they cleaned and returned the clothing and possessions of the victims to their families. Not only did many of them find shrapnel, parts of the plane and human remains on their property, but many victims of the crash were bystanders that were struck by debris.
The play surrounds four women of Lockerbie, including one who is grieving the loss of her family that were killed by the crash. It also follows the family of one of the victims on the plane as they search for closure.
Actors Kristy Kelley, Pete Law, Beth Fort, Shaun Ancelet, Emily Bedwell, Becky Stapf and Bill Goveia bring life to the characters while director Susan Rardin and stage manager Calla Imming create a visual adaptation that transports you small-town Scotland in the heart of tragedy.
Rardin told the Democrat that she became familiarized with the play during the pandemic when live theater was shut-down. She said the Mud Creek Players in Indianapolis staged the show outdoors in a yard and asked the audience to bring their own lawnchairs and masks.
“It felt so good to see friends and live theater,” Rardin said. “Theater as we knew it came to a screeching halt. That’s how I saw this show and it blew my mind. How it was written and the staging. It was a story I thought a lot of the audience had never heard of.”
She told the Democrat that young people today are very desensitized to hearing about terrorist attacks in the media, but during the 1980’s it was very rare.
Rardin’s set design will have pieces that are similar to what truly exists in Lockerbie, including a large rock with a plaque for the victims from the town.
The somber show is broken up by moments of humor, wit, kindness and love.
The show is female-led with an ensemble cast of five out of the seven characters being women.
“This show is about the power of women and the strength of woman-power,” Rardin said.
The Brown County Playhouse’s production of The Women of Lockerbie will open on April 12 and will run for two weekends. The tickets are available on the website at browncountyplayhouse.org.
