Key Points
- Katharine Williams, a playwright, and the lead artist has created a process-based dance theatre performance that is titled, ‘These Are Our Neighbours’.
- This production tells the story of the significant demonstration which occurred in May 2021 at Kenmure Street in Pollokshields, Glasgow, where residents and activists stopped an immigration van of the Home Office from deporting two of their neighbors for eight hours.
- With the support of Creative Scotland, the production has been created in Glasgow Southside through community research and engagement.
- Its world premiere is set to take place at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, in October 2026, for five shows in the Studio Theatre.
- It has been produced by a new writing company, RUPTURE and co-produced by the laboratory theatre company, Company of Wolves, in association with Citz associate artists Bijli.
- The production combines movement, lighting, music, and verbatim testimony of the people involved in the historical demonstration.
Glasgow (Glasgow Express) September 11, 2026 — The dramatic community resistance that unfolded on the streets of Glasgow during a high-profile immigration raid is officially transitioning from real-world activism to the professional stage, as theatre makers prepare to debut a major new production commemorating the historic event.
How Did the Kenmure Street Protest Inspire a New Stage Production?
The theatrical development, titled These Are Our Neighbours, centres entirely on the massive public demonstration that brought international attention to Kenmure Street in the Pollokshields neighbourhood of Glasgow in May 2021. During the incident, local residents, community organisers, and supporters surrounded a Home Office enforcement van for eight hours, successfully preventing officials from removing two Indian national men for alleged immigration offences.
As reported by Katharine Williams of Exeunt Magazine Substack, the new process-driven dance theatre piece combines light, music, spoken word, and structured movement to reflect the solidarity witnessed on that day. Williams noted regarding the project’s foundation:
“Throughout the journey of making These Are Our Neighbours, people who were at the protest have been central. Everything in the script is true, and comes either from interviews or published testimonies. This show owes its existence to the community that came together that day. It is their story, and it is our privilege to tell it.”
What Can Audiences Expect from the Premiere at the Citizens Theatre?
The production is scheduled to make its world premiere at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre in October 2026, occupying the venue’s Studio Theatre for a run of five performances. The theatrical creation is supported financially by Creative Scotland and has been built through grassroots workshops and collaborative development sessions held across Glasgow Southside since 2022.
The creative framework behind the performance brings together several notable theatre organisations. It is produced by the Scottish new writing company RUPTURE and co-produced by the Glasgow-based laboratory theatre company Company of Wolves, working alongside Citz associate artists Bijli. The artistic team includes director Ewan Downie, associate director Shilpa T-Hyland, and performers including Umar Butt.
Organisers have confirmed that the final week of rehearsals will feature open sessions welcoming members of the public, particularly those who took part in the original 2021 demonstration, fostering a shared environment of food, conversation, and reflection. Furthermore, an integrated participation programme will run alongside the performances, featuring specialized workshops and public talks tailored for emerging artists, South Asian creators, and local community members with personal or generational migration histories.
Explore More Local Glasgow News
Heartfelt Tributes Paid to Uddingston Mechanic Vincent Callaghan 2026
Golden Wonder Pop-Up Comes to Glasgow 2026
Background of the Particular Development
The theatrical adaptation finds its roots in one of the most high-profile civil resistance events in modern Scottish history. On the morning of 13 May 2021—coinciding with the Muslim festival of Eid—Home Office enforcement officers detained two local men, Sumit Sehdev and Lakhvir Singh, from their home on Kenmure Street. Word of the detention spread rapidly via local activist networks and social media platforms, drawing hundreds of ordinary citizens into the street to block the path of the enforcement vehicle.
The resulting eight-hour standoff saw protestors chanting slogans such as “These are our neighbours. Let them go,” with some individuals even positioning themselves underneath the vehicle to immobilise it. The demonstration ultimately forced a tactical U-turn by authorities, with Police Scotland ordering the release of the two men back into the community following public safety concerns and immense crowd pressure. The event crystallised long-standing local political tensions regarding the UK Government’s hostile environment immigration policies versus the devolved Scottish outlook on community integration, laying deep cultural groundwork for creative explorations of belonging, borders, and collective civic power in Glasgow.
How This Development Can Affect the Community and Theatre Audiences
The arrival of These Are Our Neighbours on a prominent institutional stage like the Citizens Theatre is poised to deeply impact local communities, regional theatregoers, and broader cultural discourses surrounding migration in the United Kingdom. For the residents of Glasgow Southside—many of whom directly participated in or witnessed the 2021 standoff—the production offers a rare validation of contemporary local history, transforming grassroots activism into an enduring piece of cultural heritage. By anchoring the script in verbatim testimonies and open rehearsal processes, the project bridges the gap between traditional theatre spaces and working-class immigrant communities, empowering marginalised voices to see their lived realities dignified on a professional platform.
On a broader scale, as contemporary debates surrounding border control, nativism, and immigration enforcement intensify globally, the production serves as both a mirror and a rallying point for theatre audiences. It stimulates public introspection regarding the ethics of community solidarity, challenging spectators to consider their own responsibilities toward neighbours and vulnerable populations. Ultimately, the play reinforces the cultural identity of Glasgow as a city defined by active civic resistance, ensuring that the legacy of Kenmure Street continues to shape political consciousness and community cohesion for years to come.
