Staging idea
We wrote the fictional legend of the Winged BoyAn angel once appeared to the Nordic tribes when they were still separated from the Roman Empire by Hadrian's Wall. As a result, a boy with wings was born who flew over the wall playing. The Winged Boy was a figure of hope for all those separated by walls. The figure was inspired by a huge steel sculpture by Antony Gormley, erected in Gateshead - Gateshead and Newcastle are separated by the River Tyne - in the 1990s and named the Angel of the North wears.
The implementation
Stefan Behr wrote The Legend of The Winged Boy as a poem. Steve Ellery, the artistic director of the Berlin Shakespeare Ensemble, whose family has roots in Newcastle, spoke this poem from the balcony of the Tower, accompanied by live music. After about 20 minutes of performance, suddenly the Winged Boyaccompanied by other angels, on the roof of the Tower, a poetic image for the overcoming of Hadrian's Wall. We also involved local amateur actors from the Britannia Association (Historical Romans). In addition to small play scenes in front of the fort and on the roofs below the viewing platform of the Tower, they delivered the fire at the end that started the illumination.