Blood Gold & Oil

Blood Gold & Oil by Jan Woolf, Upstairs at the Gatehouse 25th-30th April 2023

Directed by Isaac Bernier-Doyle, Technical Design and Photography by Simon Jackson

From the Arab revolt of the First World War, a modern hero is constructed: the complex, flawed figure of Lawrence of Arabia. His legacy is as conflicted as his psyche. Brilliant military commander? Agent of British Imperialism? Vulnerable fantasist? Freedom Fighter? Set in the present day, as an exhibition of the genuine archaeological finds is set up in a museum, the ghost of Lawrence is summoned through the passions of the archaeologist. Yet reality and agency reside in the more grounded figure who thinks about the future rather than the past. In Blood Gold and Oil ghost and love stories combine, as Lawrence seeks a release from guilt and fame.

Written for the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Jan Woolf fuses activism with creativity. She started the play while writer in residence with The Great Arab Revolt archaeological dig in Jordan in 2013 where she 'dug a play out of the desert.'