Meet Me at Neptune: Independent theatre funded entirely by the wages of their working class team beats Creative Scotland rejection

Funded entirely by the wages of a whip-smart, working-class team, Glasgow staple McChuills will be staging its first ever play, Meet Me at Neptune. 

A Scottish dystopia by Semp Productions, it follows tough realist Erin (Stevie Paterson), and idealist Laura (Katie Wightman), as they plot to flee Glasgow—now overthrown by ‘The One,’ a trigger-happy, tyrannical  and fascistic government.

Taking inspiration from Margaret Atwood’s seminal The Handmaid’s Tale and ongoing geopolitical conflicts—including, crucially, the plight of Palestinian women—writer-director Natalie Semple stated that, ‘although it is a piece that can affect everyone, it is fundamentally Scottish.’

Semple has diligently directed, written and produced various works across university, and Meet Me At Neptune impressively marks her first professional public piece. 

Co-director and producer Jenna Murphy, who will also be making her debut, describes her as a ‘deeply independent voice, in afraid to speak for what she believe in. At the same time, she approaches her work with care and integrity, striving to remain impartial and to separate her personal experiences and perspectives from her writing. This allows her to present her art with honesty and fairness.’

Although they were denied funding by Creative Scotland, they refused to give up. ‘It lit a fire in our bellies,’ writer-director Natalie Semple says. All they needed was themselves. And while the cozy, chattering McChuills may be an unlikely venue, it’s theirs.

While it is disparaging that working class voices still have little room to speak loud and proud in Scotland, the cast and crew of Welcome To Neptune are eager to be part of an ongoing change. Semple says: 

‘There are so many children that have never seen a play… everybody deserves the right to go in and watch a piece of art. Money is important, we need it, but it’s not as important as making sure that other generations, especially from our backgrounds, see what art looks like. 

We really, really need to be invested in schools… and it’s not only just acting, it’s music, drawing, photography, fashion. 

These are all things that many people shine in, but there’s just no way for them to do that.’

Meet Me at Neptune, ultimately, is a call for audiences not to sleep through injustice. 

Meet Me at Neptune comes just weeks after an alt-right siege on Glasgow City Centre. An attack by men in masks at an anti-racism counter-protest, mere days after, soon followed. Several were spotted doing Nazi salutes. 

‘It’s very easy to fall into a blissful ignorance,’ says Wightman. ‘I work full-time, I’m tired all the time, I don’t want to read depressing stuff constantly, but it’s crucial now.’ 

Meet Me at Neptune will show on July 1st and July 2nd. Limited tickets are still available.