I sit in the audience for The Full Monty at The Marlowe Theatre, amongst an expectant crowd. I don’t really know what to expect – although I’ve seen the film, I wonder how this would translate to the stage (and whether it would work).
Born out of her own experiences of Ramadan in 2017, playwright Sara Aniqah Malik was inspired to create her debut show, SALAAM, an exploration of what it is to be a Muslim. In a day and age whereby media coverage focuses solely on extremist Islamic groups and as a result, building up a sense of fear within the nation that is in no way reflective of the faith, SALAAM will offer an insight into just how this stereotypical narrative negatively impacts lives. Placing focus on a mother and daughter’s relationship, SALAAM will combine music and lyrical language to explore this very pertinent subject. Sara tells us more about the show, making its debut at the Vault Festival.
“Theatres are one of the few buildings left in communities where people can come together whatever their age, ethnicity or class”. A sentiment shared by many within the theatre community and expressed by Architecture Adviser of the Theatres Trust, Claire Appleby. Founded in 1976, the Theatres Trust have worked to ensure ‘that current and future generations have access to good quality theatres where they can be inspired by, and enjoy, live performance. We champion the future of live performance, by protecting and supporting excellent theatre buildings which meet the needs of their communities’. For the past 12 years, the charity have also looked to support theatres they deem to be ‘at risk’ – these theatres featuring on their ‘Theatres at Risk Register’. This year’s list has been announced and Claire discusses what it takes to supporting and protect these valuable buildings.
Sheffield based Forced Entertainment was founded in 1984 and consists of Artistic Director Tim Etchells, Designer / Performer Richard Lowdon, and performers Robin Arthur, Claire Marshall, Cathy Naden, and Terry O’Connor. The company’s provocative performance style, for example, in Speak Bitterness or Quizoola, has vastly influenced a whole generation of British, European, and North-American theatre artists. in 2016, Forced Entertainment received the Ibsen Award, the most renowned theatre award in Europe, and in 2017, their production Real Magic was invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen as one of the ten outstanding productions in the German-speaking world.
Inspired by the Japanese Goze; female musicians who would travel around medieval Japan to tell their stories to make a living, both Yellow Earth and Extant Theatre have teamed up to create a multi-disciplinary piece exploring what it means to navigate a world being a visually impaired performer. Flight Paths will witness two female performers take centre-stage as they perform a mixture of verbatim interviews and aerial sequences choreographed by Upswing’s Vicki Amedume. Ahead of their first few shows at the Harlow Playhouse Theatre and Stratford Circus, both Artistic Directors Kumiko Mendl and Maria Oshodi spoke to us about the creation of the show.
A narrative focusing on the day to day interactions of a young protagonist, Arinzé Kene and tiata fahodzi’s production of good dog highlights a voice often ignored within the wider world. In light of stereotypical and harmful narratives constantly portrayed within the media, this immediate production brings to the fore the realities of a young black male, brought up in multicultural London yet faced with everyday injustices. Making its debut in 2017, critically acclaimed good dog returns for a national tour. Ahead of the first show at Watford Palace Theatre, actor Kwaku Mills talks to us about taking on the ‘distinctively lyrical’ monologue, the show’s topical themes and what audiences can expect from the show.
Founded in 2005, Chinese Arts Now have championed the works of British Chinese artists, offering platforms for collaborations, allowing for new voices to be heard. A National Portfolio Organisation, they have been at the forefront of curating and producing ‘imaginative, diverse, vibrant’ productions reflective of Chinese stories and experiences. The Chinese Arts Now Festival will witness a selection of 60 arts events taking place up until Saturday 2nd February. The programme will include a mixture of music, drama, live art, dance, films and digital arts. Jennifer Tang’s production of Ghost Girl// Gwei Mui is currently playing at the Camden People’s Theatre. Ahead of the show, Jennifer talked to us about the show’s creation, the show’s exploration of what it means to be of British and Chinese heritage and creating narratives resonant to the British Chinese experience.
An award introduced by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, The London Borough of Culture celebrates the city’s rich arts heritage, a quality of the capital revered globally. Often when naming arts organisations within London, it’s easy to think of the obvious iconic institutions synonymous with the city. What’s great about this initiative is that it highlights the capital’s nuances, drawing on various communities and how they shape their boroughs to curate activities and events unique to them. A total of 22 London Boroughs submitted applications in 2017 to be considered and in February 2018, it was announced that Waltham Forest had become the first recipients of the award. Creative Director of Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture Sam Hunt talks about the communities pivotal contribution to winning the bid, how artists can get involved and apply for funding and how the 2019 legacy will live on!
This is a perfect extraction; after outsourcing a part of my mind into my book, I have now outsourced my body, too, and can let it do tours and all the unpleasant stuff.
Tonight writer Thomas Melle is holding a lecture on instability. However, the speaker is not Thomas Melle himself but a copy in the shape of a humanoid robot. Stefan Kaegi of Rimini Protokoll, an award-winning company focusing on documentary theatre, explores the consequences of putting a humanoid robot on stage. What are the reactions of Thomas Melle himself and of the audience? Can this kind of performance still be described as “theatre”?
Courtesy of Gabriela Neeb.
Kinky Boots, currently on its UK & Ireland Tour tells the story of Charlie Price [Joel Harper–Jackson] and his determination to turn around his failing family shoe factory by tapping into a niche market; stiletto heeled boots for drag queens. Meanwhile Lola [Kayi Ushe] overcomes the prejudices of Charlie and his fellow co-workers, helping them to accept men in frocks. It all ends harmoniously in Milan, where the business gets a glamorous reboot.
