Assimilating to a new way of life brings with it a whole host of challenges, how the community engage with this process is perhaps one of the toughest challenges if one isn’t accepted. But what binds us all is the ability to love, communicate and help one another in times of need. Delving into the integration process of two refugees settling into a South Eastern England seaside town, Mahad Ali presents My Brother’s Keeper, an observant take on how two very different worlds are forced to see eye to eye and get by.

Courtesy of Ali Wright.

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The last 3 years for us have been incredibly unpredictable and life altering, we’ve been hit with a pandemic that has gone on to shape how we currently live in a major way. Within theatre, the domino effect of the first theatre closing its doors in March 2020 in response to the pandemic, an open letter to the government calling for support industry-wide signalling the beginnings of a recovery process that during the interim birthed and encouraged the use of little known digital platform ‘Zoom’, amongst other digital innovations. Post pandemic, we rebuild, however the repercussions of the last few years have been mighty. So we ask ourselves, moving forward, what does the future of the oldest performance form look like? Where do we go from here? Award winning theatre maker Tim Crouch bravely ponders this in experimental piece Truth’s a Dog Must to Kennel.

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Emerging playwright Roxy Cook was announced today as the winner of the 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award for her first play A Woman Walks Into a Bank. Roxy accepted the Award from Erica Whyman, Chair of the Award Judging Panel at an event taking place in the shell of the 503Studio at Nine Elms, which will become a world-class centre for debut playwrights. The event included a rehearsed reading of an excerpt of the winning play.

With her play selected from 1,466 submissions from 49 countries, Roxy receives The Carne Prize of £6,000 which includes the staging of a world premiere production at Theatre503 after a year’s support and development, and publication of her play by Samuel French Ltd, a Concord Theatricals Company.

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Nominations have been announced for the Olivier Awards 2023 with Mastercard, British theatre’s most prestigious honours, which will take place on Sunday 2 April at the Royal Albert Hall.

This year’s most nominated production is My Neighbour Totoro, the new stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s beloved 1988 animated film. Brought to the stage by the Royal Shakespeare Company and legendary Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi, the production received a total of nine nominations, including Best Entertainment or Comedy Play, Best Director, Best Theatre Choreographer, Best Original Score and a Best Actress nod for Mei Mac.

Courtesy of Pamela Raith.

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Autism is a developmental disability that impacts how someone might communicate, perceive situations, react to stimuli such as bright lights and loud sounds, anxiety levels – particularly when in unknown situations, take longer to process information and repeat certain actions or thoughts over again (NHS). Autism, or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is a spectrum, with experiences different dependent on the person. An exploration of the journey taken to learn how best to care for and support a family member with ASD, Rachel Hammond presents Joshua (and Me), a vital, hearty production placing Joshua’s experience with ASD at the fore.

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Apples and Snakes have appointed a New Chair of the Board, Birmingham-raised spoken word artist Amerah Saleh. She succeeds Chris Elwell, who stepped down in early December and has been chair since 2014.

Amerah takes up the mantle after being a member of the board for three years. As a trustee, she aims to bring young people to the forefront of organisations minds’ and provide a voice in the room that could become potential opportunities for young people across the country.
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Five outstanding new writers from the UK, US and Eastern Europe are the finalists for the 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award. Olga Braga, Georgia Bruce, Roxy Cook, Charlotte Cromie, and Nia Akilah Robinson’s plays were chosen from 1,466 scripts sent in from 49 countries.

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Be warned, this is not a play for non-white people. I should have known that from the clickbait lead image featuring an old white man, Louis Theroux vibes (a fellow Quent), standing in front of a tank decorated by brown men in thoubs, because that is all they are in this docu-play. Afghan people are objectified to add colour to a play which was set in Afghanistan before Henry Naylor had set foot in the actual country.

Courtesy of Steve Ullathorne.

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As we step into Web 3.0, we’ll increasingly experience metaverses and decentralised platforms alike. The gaming realm a perfect opportunity to encourage interconnectivity and the chance to build new. Channeling into this reality, Kakilang present Home X, a fusion of gaming, virtual reality, breakdance and testimonies questioning the meaning of home.

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The 23rd February just recently marked the 3rd anniversary of Ahmaud ‘Maud’ Arbery’s tragic passing, a 25 year old aspiring football player who was out on his usual run, something that he enjoyed to do and something his mother recalls in memoriam of his legacy before being shot in a racially aggravated attack. 3 years on and three defendants have since been prosecuted for that fateful day. We’ve seen the world rocked by protest and calls for change, especially in light of subsequent events that year, with this particular case having seen the first hate crimes bill drafted in Georgia. But there’s still a lengthy way to go. Drawing on this harrowing incident, writer Jeffrey Miller crafts the show Maud, a decades-long look at the prevalent issue of race within the US, centred on Ahmaud ‘Maud’ Arbery’s death, described by his family as a modern day lynching.

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