This month, we reflect on our recent theatre trip to see The Bob Marley Musical.
Words by Olivia Hylton.
On Tuesday November 29th 2022, we took a number of mentees from the Eastside cohort of the Catalyst Mentoring Programme to watch Get Up, Stand Up: The Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre. A number of mentors were also able to join, making this trip even more special - with some mentoring pairs meeting for the first time, following months of virtual mentoring.

Pictured: Jennifer and Princess were one of the pairs who met for the first time in person.
Get Up, Stand Up charts the story of Bob Marley - from his early years in the hills of Jamaica to his time as a global superstar playing shows all over the world. Woven throughout the musical were popular Bob Marley songs such as Could You Be Loved and War. Each song helped to move the story along, educating us about different periods such as Bob’s time in exile in the UK and attempts to bridge political divisions in Jamaica.

For India, a 2020-21 mentee who is pursuing a career in performing arts, the show was “very inspiring and eye opening”. Like Bob Marley, India is of Jamaican heritage - “I enjoyed learning more about people from my background”.
Belema, a 2021-22 mentor, described the show as “amazing... It definitely gave me perspective on Bob Marley's upbringing and how it influenced his music”. Belema also had the opportunity to meet her mentee Jemimah in person for the first time at the show.
The most powerful moment came towards the end of the performance, just before a rendition of Redemption Song. Highlighting the plights of freedom fighters and the power of music as a tool for resistance, the monologue delivered gave Redemption Song a whole new sense of relevance and meaning.

The show was closed out with a performance of Get Up, Stand Up, in which the audience were encouraged to participate by singing and dancing along. It was the perfect way to end an amazing evening, with a reminder to us all to stand u for what we believe in.
Special thanks to The Black Ticket Project for making this trip possible by providing tickets to the show.
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