‘Black Watch’ takes Iraq War to Memorial Hall

Memorial Hall is being stormed.

Each night this weekend, 12 Scottish actors will take the stage to try to tackle the story of the Black Watch battalion in the Iraq War.

Presented by the National Theatre of Scotland as a part of the Carolina Performing Arts International Theater Festival, “Black Watch” aims to capture what it means to be a part of a military deployment.

The Black Watch, a branch of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, became known after a controversial deployment to Iraq in 2003.

The battalion was sent against the will of British Parliament to aid U.S. troops near Baghdad. Three of its members were killed by a car bomb, making the controversial deployment infamous in Great Britain.

The play’s writer, Gregory Burke, conducted interviews with about 50 of the Scottish soldiers, laying out the emotional foundation for the play.

“The play is so important because I think we have a tendency to depersonalize war,” said Emil Kang, executive director for the arts.

“The theater has a very unique and powerful ability to remind us that these stories are real and that the soldiers who go and fight for our freedom are real.”

Though all the actors are Scottish, the play is written to represent all soldiers in war, Kang said.

In addition to performing, the cast and crew will visit four or five classes at UNC, Michelle Bordner, director of artist relations for the office of the executive director of the arts, wrote in an e-mail.

Members of the ensemble will discuss their careers as well as the play’s creation and its importance in the modern world, Bordner said.

Since its debut in 2006, “Black Watch” has generally featured an older cast. But for this tour, director John Tiffany cast men in their twenties instead.

“These actors are exactly the ages of soldiers that would be there overseas,” Kang said.

Gemma Swallow, production manager for “Black Watch,” said that the play uses special production techniques — few of which could be disclosed.

The production requires its own set of stage hands to handle the sensitive equipment ­— including an award-winning sound system, she said.

“We have jet air crafts going overhead and bombs going off,” she said. “It does sound like it’s inside you.”

An intimate seating arrangement will bring the emotions, histories and psychologies of the soldiers to the forefront.

With bleacher seating both upstage and downstage, each performance allows for only about 240 guests — a steep decline from the usual 1,434.

“Black Watch” has already been performed in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and New York to rave reviews.

“The piece doesn’t try to push political points too hard,” Swallow said.

Kang said the play is instead a reminder that soldiers are human.

“They are not robots,” he said. “They are our sons and daughters and nieces and nephews.”

Contact the Arts Editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.