Performer Sarel Madziya.

The impressive skill of crafting flowers into thoughtful arrangements, floristry quietly impacts our lives, flowers integrated into various occasions and ceremonies – adding a deeper level of sentiment and meaning. Exploring this art form within her work Fringe First Award Winning Funeral Flowers, writer Emma Dennis-Edwards presents the story of 17 year old Angelique who longs to be a florist and is forced to navigate the care system when her mother is incarcerated. Initially performed in 2018 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the show has gone on to be performed at The Bunker in 2019 and The Roundhouse in 2020 to critical acclaim. Currently on a tour, the show’s last two stops will be at Exeter Phoenix on Monday 9th May and Nottingham Playhouse on Friday 13th May 2022 – with the lead role performed by Sarel Madziya. Emma tells us more about what expect from the show!

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Every storyteller has their own way of conveying a set of ideas, skilled technicians instinctively able to craft engaging, memorable pieces of art that echo throughout the generations, whether they’re able to tap into the zeitgeist or expand perspective. This apparent within Hollywood’s cinematic history, the silver screen a vessel for innovation and a facet of popular culture contributing iconic moments that fuel conversation. Inspired by the legacies of a handful of the cinematic world’s greats, Little White Lies editor David Jenkins presents Filmmakers on Film: How They Create, Craft and Communicate, a publication consisting of a curated selection of quotations, images and interviews with a handful of iconic filmmakers including Sofia Coppola, Agnès Varda, David Lynch and Ava DuVernay amongst others. Available to purchase from Thursday 5th May on various online platforms, we’ve teamed up with Little White Lies to giveaway a copy of the book to one lucky reader!

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Lava is more than a play, more than a compelling spoken

word piece; it’s Benedict Lombe’s unfiltered, loud, angry,

 joyful, unapologetically black female expression – all wrapped

up in a narrative that runs parallel to the history of the western world. 

Natasher Beecher, Afridiziak Theatre News

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The winners have been unveiled for this year’s Olivier Awards with Mastercard, British theatre’s biggest night, which took place on Sunday 10th April at the Royal Albert Hall in London, hosted by Jason Manford.

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The press conference is a fascinating facet of our popular culture, the first port of call for both politicians and civilians as the fate of our futures are outlined. A defining element of our lockdowns, the 5pm daily briefings would allow for the nation to be notified about next steps, and measures taken to address our unique time period. Examining our current political climate, both on a national and international level, theatre company Rhum + Clay present Project Dictator, an observation on the impact of authoritarian rule.

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The Bone Sparrow is a joyous and sensitive exploration of a harrowing story about a detention centre in Australia from the eyes of young Subhi, the first baby born in the centre. A compelling and moving story beautifully acted by every member of the company. Yet the star of the show is the set, staging, and ensemble work giving us a masterclass in how in a few square meters a team of creatives can come together to transport us to another world entirely.

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The impact of an aquired brain injury (ABI), an injury sustained via various causes including a fall, road accident, tumour or stroke can vary dependent on the patient both in the short term and long term. ‘Behavioural and emotional changes, hormonal imbalances, difficulties with cognition and memory, communication problems and fatigue (Headway Brain Injury Charity) issues that can arise as a consequence. Inspired by her own personal experience of her father dealing with a brain injury during her childhood, writer and performer Kristin Mcilquham presents Headcase, a one woman comedic monologue delving into the impact of a brain injury on families supporting their loved ones and the impact of this years post the initial diagnosis. Forming part of the Bush Theatre’s Essex:On Stage Season, Headcase will play from 11th to 16th April. Ahead of the show, Kristin tells us more about exploring this personal story further, working with the Headway Brain Injury Charity to help realise the show, supporting particularly within the research process and what audiences can expect from the show.

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In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is a type of Assistive Reproductive Technology (ART) used specifically for couples whereby the chances of natural reproduction are small. A procedure pioneered in the late 70s, IVF has gone on to support many hopeful couples become parents, the notion now that IVF is a possible option for families a cultural phenomenon. American Biochemist and Geneticist Dr Richard Myers has been integral to the treatment’s innovation, his ‘Human Genome Project’ giving the world a better understanding of the structure, organisation and function of the complete set of human genes. Receiving its world premiere at the Hampstead Theatre, Alexis Zegerman’s The Fever Syndrome is an appreciation of how far we’ve come scientifically, and how discovery continues to drive the everyday.

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For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy spoils the audience with stories upon stories upon stories without missing a beat. It’s a must watch on so many levels I hardly know where to start. There’s the cinematic production values, the greatest contemporary monologue I’ve ever seen delivered on stage, the ensemble movement, the absolute rejection of structural narrative, and the simple joy of watching black boys play, love, fight, hug, dance, sing, and cry in a way I have never seen done before on stage, TV, or film outside of a queer specific context.

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Two years on from the start of the pandemic and the impact of 2020 has started to emerge, the arts one of the most hardest hit as venues and institutions were forced to closed. With a lack of understanding as to when services could resume, an industry typically dependent on its live aspect, would find that adaptations would have to be made to continue to reach their audiences. A prominent adaptation that has started to emerge from the sector post pandemic is a digital strand of work, one where works are either pre-recorded and streamed or performances are live-streamed. Marking a new chapter within their over 200 year history, The Old Vic introduced the ‘OLD VIC:IN CAMERA’ initiative, allowing for over 108, 810 households in 94 countries to access live streamed performances from the comforts of their own homes, during such an unpredictable time period. Their online work as a result has seen them celebrated at both the inaugural Digital Culture Awards established by the Digital Culture Network with a win for ‘Content Creation and Distribution’ and at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards with a win for ‘Exceptional Theatre-Making During Lockdown’. Elizabeth Charlesworth, The Old Vic’s Head of Communications tells us more about what both awards mean to the team, working digitally and the venue’s hopes for the future.

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