Roots Mbili Theatre’s acclaimed play Far Gone explores childhood, loss and survival at Lowry

Running at Lowry from Wed 8 – Fri 10 Oct, the pioneering Roots Mbili Theatre company presents Far Gone, a profoundly affecting one-man performance from writer-performer John Rwothomack which draws on his real-life experiences of near-abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army in his native Northern Uganda.

Blending humour, poetry and breathtaking physical theatre, Far Gone follows young Okumu, whose childhood is torn apart when his village is attacked. Forced into a world of unimaginable violence alongside his brother, Okumu’s harrowing journey from innocence to child soldier is rendered with captivating spectacle and emotion in a tender yet gripping tale of humanity, heartbreak and hope.

First staged in 2019 and later co-produced with Sheffield Theatres for a major UK tour in 2022, the production returns to the stage as part of a diverse international tour, with dates in the USA, Taiwan, South Africa and select UK venues including Sheffield, London and Salford.

Speaking about the play, Rwothomack says: “This play is not about me, the kid who was lucky enough to escape. This play is for the hundreds of thousands who did not. For the future generations who will continue to suffer the trauma the LRA has imprinted on them, for many years to come.”

Far Gone is directed by Mojisola Kareem, previously of Death and the King’s Horseman.

Book tickets below.