“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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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Four years ago, the European migrant crisis dominated the headlines. Images of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea in the hopes of escaping life threatening regimes and a poor quality of life in the hopes of starting anew were stark, shocking and eye opening. The media’s coverage of this period, at points unforgiving, demonised those seeking safety. The infamous Calais Jungle would also dominate headlines; the encampment at its peak, home to over 6,000 migrants seeking refuge. Director of Borderline Theatre Company Sophie NL Besse addresses the personal stories of refugees and asylum seekers in her latest show Welcome to the UK. Ahead of the show, Sophie talks about her time delivering workshops at the Calais Jungle, the multi-cultural ensemble consisting of refugees and performers and the show’s satirical aspect.

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Within the past 2 decades, the gradual rise in Islamaphobia has been haunting to witness. Various misconceptions within the press further peddling a feeling of fear amongst nations. These untruths go on to shape voting outcomes and interactions within the wider community, fuelling a stereotype that doesn’t at all ring true. Nabilah Said’s timely show Inside Voices aims to add nuance to perceptions currently held. Placing lives of three Malay Muslim women at the fore, Nabilah and her theatre company Lazy Natives offer an insight into an aspect of Southeast Asian culture perhaps not focused on within the UK. Ahead of the show, Nabilah talks about making her professional debut at the Vault Festival, exploring topics of race and religion and featuring in Nick Hern Books’ Plays from Vault 4 Anthology.

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