Fringe Festival show honours victims
A NEW play to honour victims of the Lockerbie Disaster is receiving rave reviews after making its European debut at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
American playwright Amy Engelhardt’s new show ‘Impact’ explores her journey to Scotland to honour two friends who lost their lives on Pan AM Flight 103.
Amy knew five of the 35 Syracuse students who lost their lives on the flight, including her friends Miriam Wolfe and Nicole Boulanger.
Following a visit to Lockerbie in 2019 with Nicole’s sister Renee Boulanger and her best friend Kim Wickham – who was supposed to be on the plane – Amy began working on Impact as a ‘love letter’ to the people she met in Lockerbie.
Amy said: “I decided to visit Lockerbie just after the 30th anniversary after a string of strange and usual coincidences brought me to the UK. And it had such an impact on me that I had to write about it.
“I was struck by how beautiful the area was but also how caring and compassionate the people of Lockerbie were.
“It was absolutely inspirational and I began work on Impact shortly after returning home. And it became this multi-media scrapbook of our journey with photographs, video and music.
“I was travelling with two women who were far more connected to the tragedy than I am. So even though I am the one that’s on stage the show is not about me. It’s about Nicole and the events and magical connections that brought all three of us to Lockerbie.”
Now, ‘Impact’ is half-way through its festival run and has been well received by audiences.
Amy added: “It’s funny the best part of the show happens afterwards when I get to meet the audience because people have come from Lockerbie to see the show and have shared their stories and experiences with me.
“I’ve met retired police officers who were on the ground and former Pan Am flight attendants.
“This journey has come full circle, I set out to make something positive about really serious subject and I honestly can say that bringing the show to Scotland has been one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
Impact will be performed everyday until Monday, August 28 at the Gilded Balloon Teviot – Dining Room at 1 pm.
For more information visit the Edinburgh Fringe website and search Impact.
