Barney Norris: A Stranger Comes To Town

We are thrilled to announce two live events with acclaimed author and playwright Barney Norris. He is one of our very favourite writers, so to host him in the gallery is a real thrill.

"A Stranger Comes To Town is an exciting and vulnerable step for me – a new collaborative work blending poetry, sculpture and original composition to tell a story about islands, itinerance, falling apart and letting go. Having toured the show around the Isle of Mull last winter, I’m exploring how this piece could develop and what it could become; I wanted to do that by sharing it with Salisbury, where all my stories start." – Barney Norris

ABOUT BARNEY

Barney Norris is a writer and theatremaker living in Salisbury. Working across both theatre and fiction, he has spent the last decade telling stories that map his home region, creating a portrait of the south west of England. His plays VISITORS, EVENTIDE, ECHO'S END, WHILE WE'RE HERE, THE REMAINS OF THE DAY, BLOOD WEDDING and THE WELLSPRING have all been presented at Salisbury Playhouse; his novel FIVE RIVERS MET ON A WOODED PLAIN is an award-winning, best-selling celebration of the city.

Recently, he has started travelling further afield in order to respond to new landscapes. A STRANGER COMES TO TOWN was created on the Isle of Mull in the winter of 2023, following an encounter there with the ceramicist Charlotte Mellis. A dramatic work exploring relic, wreckage, interconnection and how to let go of grief and pain, the piece is scored by the haunting music of the Scottish composer Ailie Robertson and arrives in Salisbury having toured across Mull last winter.