Young local talent gets opportunity to shine.
Young Midlands talent is doubling up at Birmingham Rep this month in two brand new plays. Talented young actors Lily Eliza and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi lead the cast at 8pm on Monday 22nd May in Doubled Up at Birmingham Rep, presented by BOLDtext Playwrights.
In very different situations, their characters face unexpected betrayal in brand new plays from BOLDtext writers Liz John and Julia Wright.
Having played Anita in Anita & Me, Lily returns to The Rep in Liz John’s World War 3, joined by Birmingham-based Oli Leonard, Dru Stephenson and Phoebe Cresswell, directed by Caroline Frewin. Meanwhile, Nadi starred in Between the Two which premiered at The Rep earlier this month, and now plays Ayesha in Unfollow Me, alongside Midland actors, Jack Richardson and Sarah ain. The event has been funded by Arts Council England and supported by The Rep.
“Young people feel strongly about so many things, but when do they get a chance to speak out? And who is listening?” asks World War 3 writer Liz John. “Teenagers are fighting to be heard – I really hope this play can give them a voice.”
World War 3 focuses on 17 year-olds Zoe, James and Ella who, despite their eagerness to make the world a better place, find themselves let down by their cash-strapped FE college and their hard-pressed families. It’s time to make a stand – but can the fiery enthusiasm of youth overcome the cynical politics of today’s Britain? World War 3 is a challenging tale of conflicting ambition in the 21st Century. Playwright Liz John writes for BBC Doctors and The Archers, and her theatre work has been performed throughout the Midlands and nationally.
Unfollow Me by Julia Wright asks what the tipping point is where obsession becomes truly dangerous? Ayesha, Natalie and Sam have to make the choices which will determine all of their futures. Who is really in charge? Who is losing the fight?
Julia says, “I wanted to write about how the law does not always protect us and whether it is possible to use other means to produce a just result. When your whole life is adversely affected by someone else’s actions, how can you fight back without resorting to breaking the law? I have focused on the story of one young woman struggling to regain control of her life.”
Extracts of these two plays-in-progress are in The Door at Julia Wright at 8pm Monday 22nd May as part of the Open Door initiative. Tickets are free to book for these staged readings but advance booking is strongly recommended and these evenings often book-out. Audience members pay-what-they-can on the night (BOLDtext will rattle a bucket on the way out).
Booking at Rep Box Office 0121 236 4455 or online here