The Bread & Roses Theatre presents
The Black Eye Club
A black comedy by Phil Charles - directed by Tessa Hart
Winner of The Bread & Roses Playwriting Award 2016/2017

"Funny, moving, powerful new play" ★★★★★ - Remotegoat
"offers a lot of hope and [leaves] its audience with a renewed sense of wonder at the human spirit" ★★★★★ - Breaking the Fourth Wall
"Full of mellow humour and tasty conflict of character" ★★★★ & Top Pick of the Month - LPT Magazine

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When life throws you punches... drink, sing, survive!

When a gay man fleeing an abusive partner is turned away from a women-only refuge, one of the residents sneaks him into her room. The initially clashing characters, the shy Dave and the gabby Zoe, begin to bond over their shared traumatic experiences. But will they be able to keep him hidden from the eagle-eyed security guard? And will they be able to instill enough confidence in each other to be given the strength to leave their violent partners for good?

The Black Eye Club by Phil Charles was selected anonymously out of over 450 submissions as the winner of The Bread & Roses Playwriting Award following three reading rounds. The award was open for submissions last summer/autumn and called for full length plays with at least 50% material that are female, non-binary or gender neutral roles, from UK based playwrights. The premiere of the winning play is being staged for the theatre's third anniversary in November 2017, directed by the Artistic Director.

Phil Charles was propelled to write The Black Eye Club after witnessing cuts to council budgets and their disastrous impact on services for those affected by domestic abuse, many refuges are forced to shut down or taken over by non-specialist providers.

#BlackEyeClub | Twitter: @BlackEyeClub

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“thought provoking, enraging, sad, happy and funny all at the same time” - The View from the Circle

"I had tears in my eyes, and I’m not sure if they were from the emotion or the laughter.
It’s high quality work from a theatre worth supporting." - Theatre Box

"unravels in an entertainingly earthy and realistic way (...) a fun evening on a dark subject" - Traffic Light Theatre

“Touchingly portrayed (...) Charles' script combines alarming brutality and endearing bravery” - Gizzle

"a cracking set of characters and a clear message" - The Play's the Thing

The Black Eye Club

Creative Team

• Writer - Phil Charles
  

Following diverse careers as a homeless support worker and advertising copywriter, Phil Charles is an award-winning scriptwriter having written for series such as SHAMELESS, DOCTORS and MURPHY’S LAW. He presently has various original radio, TV and film projects in commissioned development. Based on personal experience, THE BLACK EYE CLUB is his debut stage play.

• Director - Tessa Hart

Artistic Director of The Bread & Roses Theatre, Tessa Hart is a director, producer, performer and writer, as well as the Producing Artistic Director of activist Goblin Baby Co. Over the past ten years she has worked and trained in the performing arts in the UK, Germany, Belgium, Moscow and Indonesia. Notable directing projects include dirty butterfly (Bread & Roses Theatre, 2017), The Princess Monologues (Goblin Baby Co, 2015/2016), a new adaptation of Miss Julie (Bread & Roses Theatre, 2015), Darker The Night (Hen & Chickens Theatre / Etcetera Theatre, 2014/2015) and The Vagina Monologues (Goblin Baby Co, 2013). She holds an MFA in Acting (International) from East 15 Acting School and a BA in Theatre Studies from the Free University of Berlin. www.tessahart.com

• Designer - Sally Hardcastle

Sally is a performance designer based mainly in London. Since graduating with a degree in Theatre Design from Rose Bruford College she has worked with organisations including Wild Rumpus, Three4alll Theatre and The Redbridge Drama Centre. Sally designed 42nd Theatre Company's first production, Four Thieves' Vinegar in March and now brings a visual angle to the development of new scripts as the company's Associate Designer. She works with schools and community groups introducing design practice to children and adults in an accessible way and facilitating their creativity.

• Assistant Director - Laura Clifford

Laura Clifford is currently the Associate Emerging Director at The Bread & Roses Theatre, where she assisted on dirty butterfly by debbie tucker green. She recently directed a new play, Entropy, at The White Bear Theatre and has has directed at several new writing nights, including The Platform, at The Bread & Roses, and for Theatre503’s RWR to Boom.

• Producer - Heather Ralph
  

Heather Ralph is a London based Producer from Northern Ireland. After studying Arts Management at the Royal Welsh Collage of Music and Drama, she has worked across all parts of the United Kingdom. Working primarily with companies who are dedicated to storytelling and devising new work. www.heatherralph.co.uk

• Stage Manager - Hannah Duffy

Hannah Duffy is an artistic associate and co-founder of the Bread and Roses Theatre. She graduated from the Manchester School of Theatre in 2016 where she received a BA(Hons) in Acting. Since then she has appeared in various commercials and short films, as well as our in house new writing night the platform. Hannah helps to host the monthly writers evening at the Bread and Roses, as well as stage managing some of the company shows. She has also just been accepted onto the prestigious Writers Lab programme at the Soho Theatre

• Sound & Light - Eren Celikdemir
• Production Manager - Eleanor Rose
• Movement Coach - Roman Berry
  

Cast

DAVE - Christopher Sherwood trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Theatre includes: Little Revolution (The Almeida), Where Will We Live? (Southwark Playhouse, Camden People's Theatre), Reprehensible Men - Part II (The Tristan Bates), Border Control (Theatre503, Norwich Arts Centre, Camden Roundhouse), Christmas (Theatre N16), Road (The Bridewell Theatre), Foxfinder, The Last of the Haussmans (Theatro Technis), Orpheus in The Underworld (Oxford Playhouse), Salome (Barons Court Theatre). Film: More Strange Than True, Our Little Haven, The Chain, Ergo, Starling Murmuration. TV: Tripped (E4), Conspiracy (Channel 5)

ZOE - Rebecca Pryle is an actress and creative producer. She graduated with a BA Hons in Drama before training as an actress at the Maggie Flanigan Studio in New York on a two year Meisner Conservatory program. After completing her training she returned home to London where she went on to co-found The Bread and Roses Theatre and Company as well as the Improv group 4Play, which has performed around the country, including performances at the Glastonbury Festival. Rebecca has appeared in all three of BRTC's full length in house production, including 'Miss Julie' as Miss Julie, 'Low Level Panic' and Dirty Butterfly. Furthermore, she has has performed in The Vagina Monologues, Age of Love at the Camden Fringe Festival, numerous new writing nights, rehearsed readings as well as working on short films and voice-overs.

SHARON - Cathryn Sherman’s credits include Swing Nun/Understudy Sister Berthe in a national tour of the Sound Of Music. Ensemble/Understudy, and playing, Madame Thenardier “Les Miserables” Palace Theatre London, and choir in the 10th and 25th Anniversary Concerts. Backing singing for Lesley Garrett’s “Travelling Light” tour. Mama Meisner in Stephen Sondheim’s “Roadshow”, Union Theatre Southwark. Plays include Ibsen’s “A Dolls House”, Barons Court Theatre. “Bloodletting”, Bread and Roses Theatre, “84 Charing Cross Road”, and “Shakespeare’s Fools and Horses”. Television includes “Eastenders”, and the drama documentary “The Great Plague”. Cathryn is also a Voiceover Artist and has performed in cabaret.

We are still raising funds to build our set! For only an additional £8 donation when purchasing standard tickets (3-18 November), our designer will graffiti your name (or a name of your choice) on the set itself as well as thank you in the show's official program!

Meet Dave. He's just having a quick drink.

Meet Zoe. The only thing that will stop her from talking for two seconds is singing karaoke!

Meet Sharon, the eagle-eyed s̶e̶c̶u̶r̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶g̶u̶a̶r̶d̶ concierge you don't want to mess with!

Bursting for the loo.

Get 'em off!

The Club.

1st to 18th November
Tue-Sat at 7.30pm
Post-show Q&A with the team and charity Respect on 9th November (free to attend for anyone with tickets to the show that night)

Tickets: £12 | Concessions: £10
Previs: £8 (1st & 2nd November)
Running Time: 70 minutes

18+. Strong language, themes of domestic violence and partial nudity. Ticket purchases are non refundable. Concession prices apply to students; under 18s; pensioners; those on disability and unemployment benefits; Equity, BECTU & SDUK members; Portico Places cardholders. ​As a young venue we are still upgrading and developing the space, any additional donations are much appreciated and will be used towards improving the theatre even further and keeping the venue going in the long-term.

© Lexi Clare Photography