Where Light and Memory Meet: Introducing the Work of Helen Engelhardt
September 9th, 2025, the historic Citizens Theatre in Glasgow will reopen after seven years of redevelopment. Small Acts of Love, written by Frances Poet, directed by Dominic Hill , with original music composed by Ricky Ray, is a powerful new production that explores the bonds of friendship forged in the wake of the December 21,1988 terrorist attack on Flight Pan Am 103 which exploded over the town of Lockerbie, Scotland. The play documents not the disaster itself – which killed eleven people on the ground and destroyed many buildings- but the immediate response from individual people in Lockerbie to reach out to the families whose loved ones had landed on their streets and fields. These “small acts of kindness” helped to heal everyone affected, and created bonds that have endured for 36 years. People from over 26 nations were on that flight, the majority being from the United States. Frances Poet focuses on 7 American families, including Helen’s. Her husband and creative partner, Tony Hawkins, was one of the 270 people who were murdered that night, leaving her to navigate her grief while raising their six-year-old son, Alan. His death reshaped her world. Small Acts of Love is a testament to the quiet power of finding connection through adversity, a theme that echoes throughout her own writing and lived experience. This profound connection between past and present is the perfect moment to explore the rich tapestry of her creative life.
We are thrilled to announce the launch of her new website, a curated space dedicated to her powerful voice. Here, you can explore her acclaimed book, The Longest Night, which chronicles this very journey. Available in print, the work finds its most intimate expression as an audiobook, weaving in actual home recordings of Tony, Helen, and a young Alan, capturing their voices from both before and after the tragedy. On the site, you can also discover her moving poetry and learn about the collaborative projects that continue to define her artistic vision.
