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February 11, 2019
TORONTO – Sting and the cast of his musical THE LAST SHIP will travel from Toronto, where the musical is playing at the Princess of Wales Theatre, to Oshawa to perform in solidarity with GM workers at the city’s Tribute Communities Centre on Thursday, February 14, 2019. The performance will include songs from THE LAST SHIP, which features music and lyrics written by Sting.
This new musical tells a similar story to what is threatening to happen in Oshawa, with the potential demise of the GM plants that employ thousands of people.
THE LAST SHIP is set in the UK shipbuilding community of Newcastle, Sting’s hometown, and tells the story of the shutdown of the local shipyard, around which the community has revolved for centuries. No one knows what will come next. With tensions flaring, a grassroots protest gains strength as people fight to hold their community together in the face of the impending storm by building “the last ship. Sting not only wrote THE LAST SHIP but also stars in the Toronto production as the leader of the protest.
“With the departure of shipbuilding from his hometown, Sting witnessed first-hand what becomes of workers and their families when the core industry is ripped away,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “The tremendously powerful story of THE LAST SHIP resonates deeply as it speaks to the dignity of work, how it shapes individuals and their communities, and the heavy personal toll that is paid when workers livelihoods are taken from them. The Oshawa GM workers are incredibly grateful to Sting and the cast of this show for their support as they continue to fight for their jobs.”
WHAT: Sting and cast of THE LAST SHIP perform in solidarity with Oshawa GM workers
WHEN: Thursday February 14, 2019
12:00 p.m. Performance in main arena
1:00 p.m. Press conference
WHERE: Tribute Communities Centre, 99 Athol St E, Oshawa, ON L1H 1J8
WHO: Sting and the cast of THE LAST SHIP
Jerry Dias, Unifor National President
GM Oshawa workers
Media interested in attending must register with Mirvish Productions or Unifor by 2:00 p.m. Wednesday February 13, 2019. Note: Repo time will be very tight for TV cameras between the stage event and the press conference so you may want to send two people or bring an extra tripod at minimum.
For more information please contact:
Unifor Communications Representative Kathleen O’Keefe at @email or 416-896-3303.
For THE LAST SHIP, Mirvish Productions Media Contacts:
John Karastamatis @email 416-593-0351 ext 519.
Sue Toth @email 416-593-0351 ext 549.
J. Randy Alldread jralldread@mirvish.com 416-593-0351 ext 543.
