Seeds

Stage adaption of Guardian and Sunday Times Podcast Pick

Seeds opened at Pleasance Theatre in Islington on Tuesday 1 November 2022, presented by No Stone Theatre and directed by Nicholas Pitt (Mistero Buffo, Of Mice and Men, Don’t Look Away). The original text is by Nick Walker (The First King of Mars, Annika Stranded), adapted for stage by Tabitha Mortiboy (Amber Trap, Life Sentence).

“This is the sound of seeds falling on the floor. This is the bounce. This is the clatter. This is the terrible noise of them. The noise of a thousand years. The noise of a million harvests. The noise of a billion stomachs fed.”

Four research scientists are freezing in the basement of the Institute of Plant Industry, forced to make impossible choices to protect life-saving seed samples against an invading army, a starving population and each other.

Under siege and with hope vanishing around them, how do they preserve what matters most and find hope for our shared future?

Seeds is the live performance premier of No Stone Theatre’s thrilling and critically acclaimed podcast series which starred Nina Sosanya. It’s been inspired by the incredible true story of the world’s first seed bank in St Petersburg/Leningrad during WWII which was created by Nikolai Vavilov (1887-1943) - a plant geneticist whose life’s goal was to end world famine - out of samples that he personally collected from across the globe. 

During the second world war and the terrible siege of Leningrad, the researchers at the institute protected the edible record of the world’s food sources against German bombs and a starving population. Ultimately saving the priceless collection and preserving knowledge that would go on to save millions from famine, but at the tragic cost of the majority at the institute starving to death, in freezing rooms full of food.

The show follows two narratives which intersect, flow and collide with increasing frequency as heard in the critically acclaimed audio version produced in 2020:

• a dramatisation of the progression of the siege within the institute in the 1940’s following four workers as the situation darkens and hope fades;

• a modern day journey through the streets of St Petersburg and into the institute as a woman retraces her steps to an accident she knows has critical importance for herself, and the wider world.

Different time lines and spaces are overlaid, and seamlessly shift together creating moments of vivid theatricality, moving beyond documentary and towards a story of humanity both worlds contain.

The structure links the story of the scientists to our current climate crisis, the damage our modern attitudes to food and instant gratification has had on our environment, the threat to food security and the fallout of the global pandemic.

Created by an award-winning team this little known history is given renewed urgency by the war in Ukraine, the worsening food security crisis and the heroic efforts to protect our world’s biodiversity.

“You’re left hankering for answers” Podcast Pick, Sunday Times

“This niche topic is brought to life” Podcast of the week, Guardian

“Resonates for today’s world...a perfect fit for the medium” New Scientist

“it has a story almost unbelievably interesting and striking in its fact, one of those you can’t help passing onto others.” Exuent

THE TEAM 

Developed & Directed by Nicholas Pitt

Original Text by Nick Walker

Adapted Text by Tabitha Mortiboy

Producer: Johanna Taylor

Casting Director: Emily Jones

Set & Costume Designer: Lulu Tam

Composer & Sound Designer: Jon Ouin

Associate Sound Designer: Joseff Harris

Lighting & Video Designer: Martha Godfrey

Movement Director: Jennifer Fletcher

Stage Manager: Chloe Ashley

Assistant Producer: Alma Daskalaki

Cast

Fanta Barrie - THE PATIENT

Katy Stephens - IRINA

Hannah Hutch - ZASHA

Ray Sesay - LEONID

Graeme Rose - DIMITRI