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      Interview: Over The Bridge, Into The Shed

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      Luke Adamson on Bridge House Theatre and The Man In The Shed

      We’ve not had the pleasure of visiting Penge’s Bridge House Theatre except for one fleeting visit back in 2014! Something we really need to change. But in the meantime, the second best thing to an actual visit would be a sit down with Luke Adamson, who is not only the Artistic Director of the venue, but also the director of The Man In The Shed, which will be playing at the venue from 10 May.

      Let’s start with The Man In The Shed, what attracted you to bring the play to Bridge House, and even to direct it yourself?

      Well, initially I was reading the play with a view to programming it as a visiting show as part of the spring season. As I was reading through the script in the bar of the Bridge House I found myself genuinely guffawing out loud. The humour hits you in the face in the first line and you’re off. Then what I loved was how the depth of the character and the show crept in amongst the humour.

      I contacted the writers saying that I’d love to programme the show at which point they admitted that they didn’t have any idea how to actually produce the show but had the finances in place, so we came to the agreement that we would act as producers for the show with their finances and I would direct it.

      The play is “told through the music of a classic album”; is there one album in play here, or is this a nice plot device just to draw us in?

      There is one specific album that The Man In The Shed wants to tell us ‘facts’ about. It’s one that I’m sure everyone will have heard of, even if they haven’t listened to it. Though it’s safe to say that his knowledge of this album may not be quite accurate, and his ‘facts’ may not be facts, so much as confused ramblings and ridiculous assumptions.

      And of course we do now have to ask, do you have a classic album of choice you would use to soundtrack your own life?

      It may be cliche, but I was introduced to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours as a child. My dad was a big fan and it was always on in the car. I know all the words to every song and once one song ends I could tell you what the next song is before it has even started.

      The play is about a man who finds himself out of touch with the modern world yet clearly feels he is in the right; can we assume our man is very anti-woke? Is the play mocking him or trying to sympathise with someone whose viewpoints are perhaps best left in the past?

      This is what so appealed to me about the play, The Man In The Shed definitely isn’t woke, but I also wouldn’t say he was anti-woke, he’s not your classic, gammony Pie*s Mo**an type who seems to want to rage against, and actively oppose anything or anyone that isn’t him, he’s more left behind. A man who has found himself out of touch with society and with his children, who wants to be able to understand, wants to connect to them and be able to talk to them but the era that he grew up in has left him ill equipped to do so. He’s emotionally inept and, in a way, insecure. The play shows us his yearning to do these things, but also why he falls back on the old ‘blokey’ tropes.

      With the show we’re neither mocking his outdated views, nor asking people to sympathise with them, we’re kind of lifting the curtain and taking a look at the man behind the views and seeing why people might behave in a certain way. We hope that the play will provoke discussion about the fact that ultimately we’re all shaped and formed into the people we are by the society and the world we grow up in.

      And as well as directing this play, you are AD of Bridge House Theatre – what took you there in 2021 then?

      Well I’ve lived in the area since 2013 and The Bridge House Theatre had always been on my radar. When trying to initiate some theatre in Crystal Palace Park back mid pandemic, I was in a Zoom meeting with Guy Retallack – the previous AD of The Bridge House Theatre – who revealed that he was no longer running the venue, so after a few conversations with Guy, he put me in touch with the management of the pub and, as I’d always wanted to run my own venue, I submitted a proposal to them of what I’d like to do and they liked it and the rest is history!

      And what is your vision for what you’d like the theatre to say with its scheduling?

      Our programme features shows from established small-scale companies as well as offering opportunities for emerging theatre-makers. We ensure that all the shows we present are entertaining as well as being what we term ‘socially conscious’ –  does the work say something about the world that we live in? It’s also important to us that all the shows offer opportunities to, and representation of, groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the theatre world. This includes but is not limited to: Working class artists, Artists from the Global Majority, Non binary or gender fluid artists, LGBTQ+ Artists.

      You were previously Associate Direction at The Hope Theatre, how different are the two venues?

      They’re very similar spaces in terms of the fact that they’re rooms above pubs, but that’s probably where the similarity ends. The Hope is a much more edgy space, the pub is more lively and, what with the musical history, has an almost raucous atmosphere. The Hope can also take a few more risks in their programming as they’re a much more established venue. The Bridge House is a very lovely, family friendly pub right on the edge of Crystal Palace Park with a much more chilled out atmosphere. As we’re not particularly well known as a venue yet and we’re still building a reputation we have to be quite canny in our programming in that we need to be able to balance out the edgier, less ‘commercial’ work with shows that have a slightly wider appeal.  We also have more scope for family friendly work and are able to supplement our theatre offerings with monthly comedy nights and spoken word events. Our space is also a little bit bigger than The Hope.

      We’re guilty of only having been to Bridge House once, way back in 2014 – it’s clearly not in the usual theatre heartlands such as The Hope was (no offence to Penge), does this make it more of a challenge on what you programme and drawing in an audience?

      How very dare you!? Penge is the centre of the theatrical universe! (Or at least it will be when I’m finished with it.) We’ve actually found that, unlike The Hope, we have quite a local audience around here. At The Hope we found that the audiences were primarily made up of friends and family of the companies, and people that were interested in the Off West End theatre scene and would travel to visit the venue specifically, but very few people that lived locally would visit the theatre regularly. We’re delighted that we’ve got a very supportive local community and we see the same faces returning to see shows again and again. We’re looking forward to the days that our local audiences are joined by those lovely fringe theatre supporters as they travel out to Penge. In the review of our last in-house production, Steve Coats-Denis said of us “If Under Electric Candlelight is the sublime level of drama we can expect under Artistic Director Luke Adamson, theatre lovers should be getting on that train to Penge!”

      Finally, what else do you have lined up for the coming season? What should we be trying to convince some of our reviewers along to check out?

      We have a rehearsed reading of new play Boys Will Be Boys and then a transfer of five star play A Final Act Of Friendship from The White Bear. Then in June we’re heading into a month of Edinburgh Festival previews and special events for the annual Penge Festival. Further details of our exciting Summer Season will be announced soon!

      Our thanks to Luke for finding time away from running Bridge House and rehearsing for the upcoming show to chat to us.

      The Man In The Shed plays between 10 and 14 May. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      Interview: Giggles and Sex, What More Is There?

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      Hannah Baker on Banter Jar

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      Here at ET we have all ages covered. And we admit, some of us older members are, occasionally, jealous of those youngsters in our midst who are just embarking on their journey into adulthood. So when we get invites to shows that tell us the show is “a one-woman play about growing up. About sex and giggles” our first thought is “damn these kids”. Then we read on and find “self-harm and busking… For falling in love. And for working out how to love that person when their demons keep telling you to f*** off. Why is it always the kindest people that’re the saddest?” and suddenly we remember being in your 20s isn’t always a bed of roses, it’s full of its own unique difficulties.

      So, having got over the fact Hannh Baker, is clearly one of those youngsters, it is also her show Banter Jar, promising all those things. It seemed like a good time to sit down with Hannah and find out about the play and remind ourselves that life can be tough whatever age you are. But that along the way, sex and giggles is what it is prehaps all about really.

      Your show is about growing up and all it entails; how much comes from personal experience then?

      When I began writing, it was all personal experience. But as the script developed names changed, characters merged, story lines developed and it morphed into the show I have now – a jumble of both experience and new writing.

      Clearly as well as containing plenty of the promised giggles, you tackle some serious topics as well in the play, what can you tell us about them?

      For me, Banter Jar is about a whole range of things mixed together. So there’s not one particular issue that it’s ‘about’. Having said that, I do touch on happiness and love, and finding a way through mental health issues. So if people are looking for a theme there’s certainly something they can latch on to! The mental health issues do bring a seriousness to the story, but they’re also normal, and that’s how they’re treated within the play. But the characters hopefully are not defined by their mental health.

      Are these themes ones you feel are common amongst 20-somethings? Or are you exploring the more serious elements of mental health?

      Again, it’s a mixture. Self-harm and depression are very common in my generation, and so it doesn’t feel such a big deal to talk about it. I also talk about psychosis (a rarer condition) and the responsibility and control (or lack thereof) of another person’s life  – not to say that’s totally uncommon amongst 20-somethings.

      The show includes music and you play the guitar, was music your entry into the theatre then? Have you done some busking as the show suggests?

      I have! Music has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up busking in Coventry town centre, outside Poundland, as I am doing in the play. I went to drama school to study an Actor Musicianship course, so yes music was in part my way into theatre.

      You’re playing at the Lion and Unicorn, what has the venue offer you in terms of support and guidance?

      David Brady, Artistic Director (and also from Coventry), has been a huge help! He expressed interest in my script when I was early days writing it, and has been incredibly encouraging and kind whilst bringing the show to the Lion and Unicorn.

      And after this run, is that the end of the road for Banter Jar, or is this just the beginning of its journey?

      These five days are the longest run I’ll have done of it. So I’m waiting to hear what people think! I certainly hope that this is just the beginning.

      Our thanks to Hannah for her time to chat to us. Banter Jar plays at Lion and Unicorn between 10 and 14 May. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      Interview: How To Fill A Space Like The Space

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      Author: Everything Theatre

      in Features and Interviews, Podcasts, Runn Radio interview

      4 May 2022

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      Adam Hemming on running The Space Arts Centre

      This week‘s guest on our Runn Radio show was Adam Hemming, the Artistic Director of The Space Arts Centre. Adam has worked at the Space for 18 years, so has a strong record of supporting London’s fringe theatre scene. It’s a venue we love reviewing at, due to its range of shows and risk taking that can result in some amazing surprises in their shows.

      Adam hosts two of his own podcasts, which we can highly recommend. They are:

      Space Chats features interviews with shows that are performing at The Space. You can find the series on Spotify here.

      TV DNA is a podcast, as the title suggests, that talks about TV. You can find that on Spotify here. More

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      Interview: Spinning A Tune With James Broadbent

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      James Broadbent on The Recollection of Tony Ward

      It can be the little things that grab our attention, making us eager to know more. In the case of The Recollection of Tony Ward it was simply the image of vinyl records, which along with the title, suggested that this was going to be a play about memories explored through a music collection. And that was enough to get the interest of one of our music obsessed team.

      So, we dropped the needle on our current favourite record (Fontains D.C.’s Skinty Fia just in case you were wondering), poured a couple of drinks and sat down with writer James Broadbent to find out more about the show that will play as part of May’s Peckham Fringe.

      The show follows a man who appears to be having a midlife crisis, divorced and forced to return to live with his mother – you’re clearly too young for this to be autobiographical, so what was the inspiration?

      Thanks for noting this is far from an autobiographical piece! It comes from a variety of places; the strongest of which being from when I worked in a record shop aged 17/18 – shout out to CrazyBeat Records in Upminster. I wasn’t writing at this point, and it was a simple Saturday job alongside plenty of my first experiences as a young adult.

      What struck me and inspired this piece I suppose were the customers themselves that came into the shop. How they found solace in a shop of used records and what was happening outside of the shop’s doors didn’t seem to matter. Most Saturdays were a blast and I think about them often but stepping outside I was always reminded of the strange expectation and traps of suburbia. That’s what this is all about really; traps and lessons.

      You’re bang on! Tony finds himself back at his mother’s house and while sitting alone he remembers that his record collection must be somewhere in the very house. It’s a little bit more freeform than: ‘This record reminds me of this’. Tony Ward, the protagonist, seems to be in the quietest place he’s been for a while, and this brings out an awful lot from within him.

      We’ve really tried to utilise the stage and lighting design in Tony’s journey through his youth. For a subject manner that can come across as self-pitying and defeatist it’s these memories that personally are my favourite part of the play – of the writing anyway- how Tony relishes in these moments of the past with his best friends and I really hope that the audience revels in them too.

      It’s also not all positive and yearning for the past either; Tony faces difficult memories within his marriage and experience as a father that Tal (The performer) is doing wonders with.

      So is music an important part of your life, is it an area you’d want to explore more in your writing?

      Music is an incredibly important part of my life. My older brother, Matthew, is a tremendous musician who has been writing and performing since I was around about ten. I remember my Dad bartering with bouncers at the Water Rats in Camden to let me in with him to watch because I was so underage. After this I’ve always surrounded myself with musicians as they’re always the funniest people. I’m happiest when I’m listening to new music, and I tend to write a lot more when I do too.

      This accompanied by my experience in CrazyBeat and core memories being formed at gigs and festivals with my closest friends. It’s something I love exploring in my writing too. One of my personal highlights from my previous show was seeing the audience bob and clap along to the dance routine performed at the end of the show. I want to reach that level of energy again and music is the only thing that really brings that side out of people.

      The play looks at identity and how we find our own; is this a theme you explore often, and how do you make it authentic when you aren’t anywhere near middle aged yet?

      I feel as though identity is something you are challenged with consistently in your adult life and the mistakes you make along the way. The play goes from Tony’s teenage years to the present day and there are plenty of mistakes in his lifetime. His biggest mistake for sure is the refusal to learn from any of them and that’s where the commentary on the past fifty years comes in – people believe they don’t have time for themselves because everything is moving so fast and that’s nobody’s fault, but I’m a strong believer we can always become better people. This theme is consistently challenged in my writing because I know that everybody struggles with the same big questions – ‘who am I and how do I fit into it all?’ and myself like plenty of others tend to avoid questions like these and put something on the TV for noise. 

      Making it authentic has been easier than I had envisioned. It’s not entirely naturalistic so that helps and working with an actor in Tal Profs who has been through similar life experiences to Tony has meant that he’s been able to bring an awful lot to the role. I’m nowhere near being middle-aged but the play isn’t about age really – but about proving who you are – even if that is just to yourself. Nothing more authentic than that.

      The show is part of Peckham Fringe, are such festivals a vital step in developing shows?

      Fringe festivals or shows off the beaten track of any form are the best ways to experience new art. Personally, I’ve no aspiration for anything to end up on the West End or even on screen and some people might disagree with this, but at this moment in time I think Fringe Festivals hold far more excitement than anything Between Charing Cross and Tottenham Court Road.

      Peckham Fringe is a wonderful festival, where I plan to see a dozen or so shows because you have people who, like ourselves, are working within difficult budget and time restraints but what is so clear to see is the love behind every show that is put on at these festivals.

      I think they help develop shows but perhaps in a different sense, you have companies that put themselves under enormous amounts of pressure to make something they never would have done if it wasn’t for the prospect of a show to fifty people at the end of it. The shows themselves take on new forms and cast and crew learn so much from these opportunities, so it’s great they exist and are popping up in new forms like Peckham Fringe.

      Your last show, Lovely Spread played at Camden Fringe, when you self-produced, was that a good learning curve for you?

      Such a learning curve. That was made with a very talented group of people who I can’t wait to work with again because we faced so many obstacles (covid relating and otherwise) and we overcame them together. Even six months after ‘Lovely Spread’ I know what I’d change and how I’d go about it and that’s not off the table now for another company or student production to take it and do it differently.

      I learned how important marketing is, how to make those who create and facilitate your show happy by having open lines of communication and finally I learned that my writing is good enough and trusting talented people is the key to success – so stop worrying about it all and have fun.

      What is it you hope audiences will walk away talking about when they see The Recollection of Tony Ward?

      I don’t know really. Theatrically I undeniably want people to walk away thinking that it was a step up in production value from Lovely Spread in terms of staging, lighting and sound design – they’ll see the choices we made, and they’ll have things to say on all that.

      Emotionally, it’s a strange bit of work that some people will resonate with, and some won’t. I suppose I want people to walk away from the show thinking about who they are and why that doesn’t feel enough. How being unspectacular can be the most wonderful thing if we learn to accept ourselves and learn from our mistakes.

      On reflection, I kind of don’t want anybody to talk about ‘The Recollection of Tony Ward’ but I’d like to think it would stay with them when they have a moment alone.

      And it’s on for just one day, with two performances, that clearly isn’t going to be all, have you got plans in place for where the show goes next then?

      Thanks for your optimism! We have a few festival slots booked in for later in the summer which I’m very excited about but they’ve yet to be announced – but keep an eye out. Hopefully that time round we’ll have an entirely different team because it will take the show in a new direction and grow in ways I could never even foresee.

      Thanks to James for taking time out to chat to us. The Recollection Of Tony Ward plays at Theatre Peckham on 8 May, with performances at 2.30 and 8.00. Further information and tickets can be found here. More

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      Interview: Welcome To The Land of OSO

      by

      Author: Everything Theatre

      in Features and Interviews, Podcasts, Runn Radio interview

      28 April 2022

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      Ian McFarlane on new show Forever Oz

      We met Ian McFarlane back in 2020 when we spoke to him about Revellers Society. He is now back with Forever Oz, which, as the title suggests, is based on L. Frank Baum’s series of books from which The Wizard Of Oz came. But rest assured, this is not a new stage adaptation of the film we all know and love, but instead is based on the second and third books in the series, along with some adaptations by Ian himself.

      Ian’s love of not just the Oz books, but Peter Pan are clear to hear as he tells us about the show and why his theatre company is called Big Adventure Productions. Plus we discuss why he the show will be playing at Barnes OSO Arts Centre before hopefully a tour.

      Forever Oz plays at OSO Arts Centre 19 – 22 May. Further information and bookings here. More

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      Guest Post: Abuse of Power Isn’t Always So Black and White

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      Clayton Black on Daybreak Theatre’s Malpractice

      New stage play, Malpractice, explores the abuse of power by the authorities from the perspective of two individuals driven by personal tragedy. We asked Clayton Black to tell us more about this new thriller that is heading to Bread and Roses Theatre in May.

      Malpractice is a play that explores what happens when the people we trust to serve, defend and represent our best interests betray their values and duty to serve their own agendas.

      The last few years have presented many high profile cases that typify this ‘abuse of power’ and privilege at varying scales: from the seemingly perpetual lies, scandal and double standards for which certain members of the political class remain largely held unaccounted for, to tragic events such as the murders of George Floyd and Sarah Everard by law enforcement officials. These scandals have reverberated around the world, creating a palpable sense of fury, solidarity and igniting a movement that demands change and justice. But these are just the cases that made headlines and successfully occupied our collective social consciousness and attention span for a sustained period of time. Make no mistake: for every Sarah Everard and George Floyd, there are many more men, women and children whose names we’ve never heard and whose stories were never told. Their loss will forever remain a hole in the hearts of those who loved them. For the rest of us, they are little else than footnotes in humanity’s dark history.

      Whilst Malpractice is not directly inspired by or even addresses any of these events, I have certainly been influenced by them in its creation. But where Malpractice significantly departs from these real-life events is that it does not seek to recreate and re-vilify them. Rather, my intention has been to create new scenarios where the abuse of power committed by the two main characters – a lawyer and detective – are nested in the context of personal tragedy: heinous acts motivated by greed, hate and blatant disregard for human life are easy to hold in contempt and reject, but we rarely see in black and white when people are driven by grief and suffering. Humans have an instinctive response of empathy and compassion that enable us to find reason and justification in even the darkest and brutal of acts. Looking at the world today, it’s easy to conclude that the laws that are meant to be a reflection of our ethics, morality and values are written and enforced by people who often have the knowledge, means and position to escape consequences of their actions. Malpractice asks the audience where the line between vengeance and justice exists and, if presented with such exceptional personal circumstances and the position and power to evade consequences, how they would see fit to act.

      Whilst Malpractice can’t help but be a commentary on wider society but really it’s a manifestation of my personal cognitive dissonance. When I read the news each day, I am sometimes shocked to find myself simultaneously overwhelmed and desensitised to the dystopian reality humanity is creating for itself on a daily basis. Most of the time I experience an overwhelming sensation of resignation and reluctant acceptance: I tell myself “that’s the way the world works”, “some things will never change” and “go along to get along”.

      But there are moments when I – a generally mild-mannered person who has never demonstrated a meaningful ounce of political or social activism – grow weary of this pattern. There are moments I wonder at what point tacit acceptance of the social paradigms that enable such abuses of power make me an accomplice. Like many of us probably do, I like to imagine that if presented with opportunity, I would behave and act differently. But no man is an island: how many of us know the hearts and minds of anyone well enough to say that, under the right circumstances, we can’t be either bought, broken, corrupted or cowed?

      The production is written, directed, produced and starring Clayton Black, who plays the lawyer. He is joined by the talented Fiona Munro and Mike Younis, who play the detective and the victim, and together provide the emotional core and moral ambiguity of the play. Philip Gill, Carol Morgan and Richard Bobb-semple the prosecutor, judge and public defender who represent institutions and values of society being undermined and manipulated by ‘bad actors’.

      Malpractice is a drama/thriller for the modern day that blends topical world events with compelling characters and motives, and unabashedly dives head-first into dark subject matter that intends to slightly unsettle viewers. The play itself is completely impartial and dispassionate and offers no judgement of the actions of the characters: it is left to the audience to form their own conclusions based on their own values and beliefs.

      As always, our thanks to Clayton for his time in writing this guest post.

      Malpractice is being performed at the Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham from the 17th-21st May, 2022. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      Interview: Every Rain Cloud Has A Silver Lining

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      Julia Bentley and Elan Butler on A Little Rain In Monaco

      It’s been a tough couple of years for theatre makers. And even if it isn’t Covid making life hard, it’s venues cancelling shows for completely different reasons! So our heart went out to Sober Riot Theatre who’s show, A Little Rain In Monaco, suffered that last minute cancellation earlier this year. But like all good theatre, it couldn’t be kept down for too long, and the show has now found a new stage to play on at The Pleasance (11 – 14 May).

      A Little Rain In Monaco rasies that all-important question; how you or your team would handle the PR disaster of punching Phillip Schofield live on TV? For those with longer memories, you may recall it wouldn’t be the first time the deity of daytime TV has been attacked live on TV, just ask Carter USM’s Fruit Bat how it affected their careers!

      And because ET is always here to support young theatre makers, we couldn’t really not ask them to sit down with us for the afternoon and tell us a little more about the show and it’s journey just to make it to the stage. So that’s just what we did, with Producer Julia Bentley and writer Elan Butler.

      Let’s get this out of the way first, how excited are you that you’re finally going to get the play on the stage after everything you’ve been through just to get here?

      Very, VERY excited. It’ll be special for us and the cast to finally have an audience reacting and (hopefully) laughing at this comedy drama. That adrenaline rush before a show is something that we’ve all missed and it’s just so special to get to do it at The Pleasance. The months preparing and repreparing have given us some big learning curves early on, which makes the final showing even more satisfying. We’ve been so lucky to have a supportive and friendly team of people working on this, who’ve poured everything into rehearsals and deserve a successful week of shows. The Pleasance has been a real shining light for us and we can’t thank them enough, we’ve been buzzing for weeks. 

      Have you ever considered the troubles you’ve gone through are karma for your play suggesting (in jest we hope) that national treasure Philip Schofield should be punched live on TV?

      I (writer Elan Butler) feel like Phillip has been watching over the whole project since it began, him being the three things we all learnt about God in R.E, omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. We have joked in the past about there being some sort of Monaco curse, like we’re the last few characters in a Final Destination movie waiting for another catastrophe to happen…maybe we should have considered a character punching Holly Willoughby instead…maybe that would have had less consequences. 

      It feels like the play has more than a passing nod towards cancel culture. Is that a fair assessment?

      It’s fair, but I (Elan Butler) feel like it talks about cancel culture in a way that isn’t too cringeworthy for the regular theatregoer. I think there’s a dangerous line to walk with anything too media or internet based in the theatre realm, it can quickly become quite generic and samey, we’ve aimed to avoid that.

      Really, the main protagonist is on the verge of cancellation throughout the play but it’s about the inner motivation that drives him to walk that tightrope that’s interesting. What makes these celebrities enjoy being the bad guys? Is it an adrenaline rush? Is it validation? Or is it something deeper? 

      And there are themes of class, identity and mental health – are these common threads to what you have experienced yourselves trying to bring your show to the stage?

      The characters in the play all struggle with the class difference between them, it’s what subconsciously drives them to do and say most things. The illusion that the grass is greener with money and fame, or perhaps not, is a discussion I’ve always strived to get in this play, even from the earliest draft. It’s something I’ve (Elan Butler) personally thought or assumed, like most immersed in the arts “industry”, I put industry in quote marks because I don’t even like the term, another thing reflected in the play that represents a somewhat class divide. Topics of identity also derive from real life. I’m very much interested in portraying the struggle I’ve seen of identification whilst immersed in lad culture or other repressive environments. 

      What do you hope the play will say to people, what do you want them talking about as they grab a drink at the bar afterwards?

      I’m ( Elan Butler) cautious of saying what I hope because everyone takes different things and whatever I say it will be the opposite. I once heard Simon Stephens say a play should be like a football match, the audiences should be roaring and booing and kicking and celebrating, I agree.  I don’t want to see people endlessly talking, that’s Chekhov, I want to see action! So I’d hope people walk out feeling like they’ve witnessed a champions league final that finished 5-5 and went to extra time and penalties. Iwant it to be an experience, not just a play, and have them consider what really makes them happy, then put all their attention into it. 

      Sober Riot is another theatre company that has come out of East15, and not the first we’ve had the pleasure to chat to. Is there a reason that place seems to be producing so much fresh young talent?

      The Contemporary Theatre Course at East 15 is definitely a breeding ground for fully-rounded theatre makers, it celebrates the art of making your own work and creates life-long partnerships with people that enable your work to flourish. We sort of accidentally (yet thankfully) became writers/directors/musicians/producers, during our time at East 15, where we began a journey (like many others) thinking acting was the only route for us. Often people find their people on the CT course, who they want to collaborate and make work with, or sometimes people discover they solely want to work individually, and that’s great too. It’s sort of a beautiful coincidence. It proves the only limitation to getting work as a creative is yourself, and that the possibilities of what can be created are endless with the right mindset. We have Uri Roodner (Head of The BA Acting And Contemporary Theatre Course) to thank for that!

      The show now plays for 4 nights at The Pleasance, what plans do you have for after that? Or are you too scared to plan further ahead?

      We’ve got a lot of work in the pipeline currently around a handful of projects, which will all be revealed across the course of the year, so everything depends on time, capacity, and dare we say it…funding. As a lot of emerging companies, we often have plans and projects in place, but then an opportunity is thrown our way that we weren’t expecting and steers our work into exciting, yet unexpected routes. At the moment what we’d love is to organise a small ‘A Little Rain In Monaco’ tour around regional theatres, so more communities can experience the show outside of London. We’re a Midlands born company, so bringing the show back to our home county is something we always strive for with our work. 

      And finally, are you going to invite Philip Schofield, we could help get an invite to him if you like?

      We haven’t…yet! We’re not too sure how Philip would enjoy being fictionally punched on live TV, possibly he’d enjoy it? Who knows! But if the original contemporary theatre scene is Philip’s jam, then somebody get a big slice of bread to match. It’s a very tempting offer. Philip, if you’re reading this, would you like a ticket? 

      Many thanks to Julia and Elan for their time to chat. A Little Rain In Monaco will play at The Pleasance between 11 and 14 May. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      in Theater

      Interview: Sarah Milton on ‘4’

      by

      Playing at Park Theatre’s Come What May Festival

      Playing as part of Park Theatre’s Come What May Festival, Bruised Sky’s 4 tells the story of one woman’s response to a sexual assault. Writer and performer Sarah Milton approaches the topic by looking not just at sexual assault but at the effects of a toxic friendship, as well as crisis of identity. 

      It’s a subject that feels never far from the news right now, but as the statistics show, it’s also something that is still seriously under-reported and certainly one where the perpetrators are more often than not never held accountable for their actions.

      We sat down with Sarah to find out more about the play, why such stories are so vital and what her hopes are for the play and its audiences.

      (Trigger warning: This interview contains references to sexual assault and rape.)

      What was the starting point for you to write 4?

      I was sexually assaulted myself in my early twenties, but I didn’t really acknowledge it until I read the #MeToo hashtag in 2017. That movement was a period of awakening for me; not only did my behaviours and experiences that had followed the assault make a lot more sense, but I reflected heavily on how powerful denial had played into my survival. I was alarmed at how ingrained the expectation of assault and inappropriate behaviour was from men by women pre #MeToo and how easy it was to excuse; how the patriarchal systems in place had made it seem almost forgivable. Denial as a survival mechanism was certainly the starting place for writing 4.

      It’s clearly a very personal play, how easy is it to address this in front of an audience?

      I never write a play initially with the intention of it being read or watched – I try to write with truth and wildness of thought and then edit heavily before it’s sent to others. It began as a cathartic release of writing before it becomes more structured and less personalised, but the truth of it for me is still very much in the bones of the play. I was expecting it to be a very difficult process, but so far it’s felt empowering more than anything – like I’ve taken back the control that was taken from me all those years ago.

      Is there a risk that by examining toxic friendships alongside this story that the focus moves away from the actual perpetrators? Are we at risk of blaming the wrong people about what happens?

      I think because we live in a patriarchal society, we’re always at risk for blaming the wrong people for the wrong things. However, this play isn’t about perpetrators, it’s about survival. In the play, the friend of the survivor very much represents the expectation of the behaviour from men and how, as younger women pre #MeToo, we were almost encouraged to feed in to that behaviour in order to successfully attract them, which we are frequently told throughout our lives that we’re unsuccessful or undesirable if we don’t manage to attract a man. This is obviously ludicrous. I imagine the audience may want to blame her at times, but really we should be blaming the system that’s been built for her and led her to justify becoming a bystander to herself.

      Reported sexual assaults are just a fraction of how many are believed to actually occur each year, do you feel plays such as 4 can help empower women to report crimes with more confidence?

      Unfortunately, I think it’s going to take a lot more than a play to encourage women to report a sexual assault. It’s going to take a stronger judiciary system, an immense increase of faith and trust in the police and the law and more funded, professional, appropriate and timely support for survivors. That said, I do hope that the play will help add to the mounting voices highlighting the need for those things to change.

      The play was originally meant to play at the VAULT Festival, and was long listed for the VAULT FIVE mentoring programme, how vital are such festivals and programmes for emerging artists and those looking to test new work?

      VAULT and models like it are vital for artists like myself. They’re relatively affordable, lower-risk and allow voices a well-marketed platform that may otherwise remain unheard. It was devastating when VAULT was cancelled again this year, but a decision that was ultimately necessary. Audiences understand VAULT now and are more likely to take a risk on what they book for and see too. It was amazing to see how theatres attempted to rally round and house lost shows, proving that the industry recognises the value and importance of the festival and programmes like it. However, there’s a fear of taking on new voices in bigger theatres generally… But, audiences want them and with the right marketing support and authentic investment in those voices from the bigger buildings and producing houses, they will come. I think the financial losses from the pandemic are going to affect theatre’s ability to do that for a while though.

      What do you want people to leave 4 thinking about?

      I want people to leave 4 with a sense of how immediately a sexual assault can change your life, how denial can play a strong role in surviving but ultimately how resilient survivors can be. So often victims of sexual assault on television or film are either portrayed as overly hysterical and/or physically shaking, or the character’s assault also results in their death and the detectives (often male) talk about them and focus on finding the perpetrator, whilst also battling a deep, personal trauma of their own. Now, the former can of course be a person’s response – every reaction is different for every survivor but 4 is displaying a less publicly explored reaction; one very similar to what I experienced. 4 shows a woman functioning and going about her life immediately afterward, at times with humour, as I did and navigating her world with a changed and shifted understanding of it. But through it all comes the hope, and ultimately the joy, the protagonist realises she can find again.

      And after the Park Theatre run, do you have plans in place or are you waiting to see how the show is received first?

      We’d love the show to have further life, but there’s nothing solidly in place just yet. So, watch this space…

      Photo credit @ Lauren Mabbett Photography

      Our thanks to Sarah for her time to chat to us in such an honest way. 4 plays as part of Park Theatre’s Come What May Festival between 16 to 21 May. DIscounts are available for booking for more than one show in the festival.

      Further information and bookings can be found here. More