“A show that relates closely to the raw stuff of real life... Punctuated by Rutherford’s own live commentary on the theme in hand, as she sips tea and eats toast, the show is as gentle and caring an exploration of a difficult subject as can be imagined. And the strange thing is that its very gentleness combined with it visual richness, gradually unleashes a terrific depth of emotion, as we in the audience face the fact that none of us will avoid the quiet and sometimes heartbreaking domestic truths explored here.”                                                       (Joyce McMillan **** The Scotsman, 10 Nov '11)

This solo performance is a powerful meditation on the shifting dynamics that seep into the relationship between middle-aged children and elderly parents.  KIN explores the fear, sorrow, anger, guilt and frustration but also the love, trust and laughter to be found as middle-aged children negotiate the changes in this unavoidable stage of life. Performers reveal to camera concerns of their own ageing while dealing with their parents’ increasingly glacial pace. Testimonies from members of Forced Entertainment, Reckless Sleepers, Quarantine and from Alison Peebles are linked during a live performance by Rutherford.

 You can view a short clip of KIN at: http://www.vimeo.com/22284221

“Talking straight to Rutherford’s unsentimental, unhistrionic lens, performers volunteer affectionate anecdotes that also venture into what is often unspeakable territory, giving raw, vulnerable voice to the encroaching practical concerns.  Rutherford has an instinct for delving into the troubled heartland of everyday life. Here, she succeeds in confronting our fears while reminding us to celebrate shared humanity."  (Mary Brennan ***** The Herald Feb '11)

“Rutherford is a performer with a track record and experience that ensures her exploration has profound and significant depth... Impossible to watch without bringing your own experience to bear – an invitation Rutherford makes specific in the opening minutes – and it is inconceivable that these stories will not find resonances in the lives of each audience member. However, it is probably true that it will seem most true to those of us, like Rutherford in that vast tranche of time referred to as “middle age”, whose aged parents are a current reality and responsibility. As a piece of work, it is worth taking the time to note that KIN is quite beautifully and meticulously realised, technically and in its timing to the last grain of sand in an hour glass. And, as we learn, those timepieces are, like memory, more fickle than we believe." (Keith Bruce **** The Herald, 12 Nov '11)

 “What her short, moving and absorbing show gives us, much like a [church] service, is the chance to step outside the normal run of things and contemplate our lives. This is not a show about tragedy or extraordinary events. It’s just that, in reflecting on their changing relationships, these five people in their 40s and 50s take time to meditate on their lives and their place in the world. Indeed, although the subject of Kin appears to be the aging mothers, it is really about their changing children, the only ones who have a voice in this show. Rutherford herself is in her early-40s and she talks about what it feels like to be a child who is no longer one of the young ones. This could come across as self-pity or self-obsession – after all, people have been growing old for a long time and, in that respect, there’s nothing special about this generation – but Kin is presented with so much care and delicacy that you can only be drawn in, finding yourself reflected in the various stories, and allowing yourself that rare time to step back and ponder.” (Mark Fisher - Northings, 14 Nov '11)

KIN toured last Autumn and into Spring 2012, tour dates thus far...

Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival – Glasgow Community tour 3^rd – 7^th October

Eastwood Park Theatre 11^th October (SMHAFF)

Galway Theatre Festival 27 & 28th October

Cumbernauld Theatre Friday 4^th November

The Traverse, Edinburgh Thurs 10, Fri 11, Sat 12^th November

Eden Court Inverness Tuesday 15^th November

2012

Byre Theatre, St Andrews Friday 27^th January 7.30pm

Eastgate Arts, Peebles Thursday 2^nd February 7.30pm

The Lowry, Salford Friday 3rd February 8pm

Nuffield, Lancaster University Saturday 4th February 8pm

An Lanntair, Stornoway Friday 10^th February 8pm

Colchester Arts Centre Thursday 23^rd February 8pm

Prema Arts Centre, Uley, Glos. Saturday 25^th February 8pm

Tron Theatre, Glasgow 19th, 20th & 21st April 8pm

KIN shall be touring Ireland as part of Bealtaine Festival in early May, including Roscommon, Inis Oirr, Cork, Dundalk, Dublin, Drogheda.

In August KIN shall be doing a full run at the Edinburgh Fringe.

AUDIO LISTENING POSTS toured health centre and hospital waiting rooms where local mothers and sons, daughters and fathers could be heard discussing their own experiences.

Guardian article in Society section: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/16/donna-rutherford-kin-audio-artwork-nhs

Two separate audio clips can be found at: http://www.vimeo.com/22286252

KIN was originally supported by Scottish Arts Council Partners fund. Rutherford worked in partnership with the CCA, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and University of West Scotland.

KIN's current tour is supported by Creative Scotland