Eat at The Public

Tasty theatrical treat served up as part of Celebration Week.

Black Country Touring and Birmingham Repertory Theatre will be bringing their intimate, unique and tasty play, Eat! to The Public in West Bromwich as part of Celebration Week prior to the arts centre’s closure after its funding from Sandwell Council was scrapped.

Taking place in the unusual setting of a caravan, the site-specific production is inspired by personal stories of war and poverty, feasts and famines. The War Caravan, one of four caravans used in the Eat! production which toured earlier this year, will be residing in The Public’s lobby from 12th-15th November. Weaving together theatre, live music, beatbox and spoken word, the thought provoking play takes the audience on a unique journey, in which they are placed in the middle of the story.

In the intimate setting, one man shares his stories from his boyhood – of the constant quest for food as he and his family struggle to survive a war. The fascinating personal accounts of what, when, how we eat and why it matters, have been collected from people across the West Midlands.

Steve Johnstone, Co-Artistic Director of Black Country Touring and Director says of Eat!, “The stories may have come from across the Midlands but in fact they could have originated anywhere in the world. We’ve talked and listened to people from a huge variety of backgrounds hearing about war, poverty, family celebrations and some quite unusual meals that would repulse even the hardest foodie.  We’ve given a voice to some of these memories bringing to life some moving, charming and honest stories.”

A spokesperson from The Public added, “We’re absolutely delighted that Black Country Touring and Birmingham Repertory Theatre will be bringing their War Caravan to The Public as part of Celebration Week. It presents a fantastic opportunity to see a fantastically unique production in an incredibly intimate setting.”

Eat! will take place on the hour, every hour, from 12 noon to 4pm, 12 to 15 November and is free to attend. The production has been devised by the cast, scripted by Rochi Rampal and directed by  Steve Johnstone and Frances Land.

For further information about Celebration Week visit, www.thepublic.com or call 0121 533 7161.