Back to Where is based on improvisations. What was it like developing the piece?
It's been a very enjoyable and creatively rewarding experience. With the improvisations we ended up generating so much material the biggest challenge was in deciding which bits told the story best. We all agree that it's been one of the most collaborative projects any of us have been a part of. It's been exciting as through the improvisations the original story has gone in unexpected directions....maybe into the story that it was always supposed to be?

What was the process and how long have you been working on it?
We started the project in August 2016 so by the time the show goes on we will have been working on it for just under a year. Colin had written a rough script a couple of years prior upon which we based the character's relationship and setting. The next stage was improvising the scenes; we set up a camera and just went for it. We would then evaluate the improvisations and type videos up into a script. Since then it's been a balance of editing and rehearsals to make the most entertaining and compelling play we can.

Our latest in-house production, a revival of 'dirty butterfly' by Olivier-Award-winning playwright and BAFTA-Award-winning screenwriter debbie tucker green, has been getting rave reviews in its opening week. There are 10 performances left to catch it, so make sure to book your tickets asap.
​Tue-Sat until 13th May!
 
Listening through their thin walls, Amelia and Jason are drawn into the dark and compelling world of their mutual neighbour, Jo. Something very nasty is going on next door. Jason and Amelia know it, but do nothing...
 
"a memorable and stunning theatre event" ★★★★★ - Remotegoat
"terrific performances" and "sharp direction" ★★★★½ - Arthur's Seat
"The intimate Bread and Roses Theatre is perfect for such challenging in-yer-face theatre" - The Stage
"a moving and unnerving piece" ★★★★ - ActDrop
 Top Pick of the Month: "political and deeply human" ★★★★ - London Pub Theatres Magazine
"a strong production" - British Theatre Guide
"doesn’t let the tension dissipate for a moment" ★★★★ - Breaking The Fourth Wall
"I did enjoy Dirty Butterfly and will definitely think again" ★★★★ - LondonTheatre1
"fantastic production that is wonderfully entertaining and thought provoking" - Fairy Powered Productions

BOOK NOW!

​This is a brand new play. How was it developed and conceived? What is it inspired by?
 It was written by American playwright David Moberg who’s based in Florida, he also runs notech theatre, as to make it easier for companies  to perform plays with little to no tech which is great idea especially for a company like ourselves who are just starting out and have limited funding and resources. I believe this is the first play that he has written and this will the first run of Teaching a dillo to cross the road,  this side of the pond. The main elements that inspire the play are bereavement and how that effects the family unit, mental illness in the form alcoholism and delusions, physical illness with dementia being quite predominant in the plays action as well as human emotions such as guilt, regret, shame and hope.

Tell us more about Tennessee Theatre Company. What's the company's history and background?
Tennessee Theatre Company  was founded by actress Rebecca Calienda in 2016  it was after a stint at the Edinburgh fringe festival, Rebecca decided she wanted to start creating her own theatre productions on returning to London and produce work that aims to effect an audience. She was also keen to collaborate with like minded individuals. Tennessee Theatre Company takes its name from Rebecca’s faverioute playwright Tennessee Williams. Teaching a dillo to cross the road will be Tennessee Theatre Companys first production, the play was picked as Rebecca liked the idea of taking a new writing piece which hasn’t been performed before as it felt like a fresh slate to start with for this new company.

Following 5 star reviewed productions of 'Miss Julie' in 2015 and 'Low Level Panic' in 2016, this year The Bread & Roses Theatre is putting on a revival of the debut play of Olivier-Award-winning playwright and BAFTA-Award-winning screenwriter debbie tucker green, dirty butterfly.

We are largely funding the projects ourselves but need to raise some additional funds. We are therefore holding a fundraiser and running a crowdfunding campaign!

Fundraiser
An exciting one-night-only fundraising event. We will have a quiz, raffle, auction and plenty of entertainment with exciting prizes to win! Arrive from 7pm - kicking off at 7:30pm.
Location: The Garden Room @ The Bread & Roses Pub, 68 Clapham Manor Street, Clapham SW4 6DZ

Crowdfunding Campaign
Give a little or a lot and/or just help us by spreading the word and sharing the link!

Thank you!

Free Rayne Artists tell us about their return to The Bread & Roses Theatre with a new edition of their hit show Spiral (12-14 April).

Tell us a bit more about the people behind Free Rayne Artists! What are all your theatre backgrounds? 
Matthew and Rebecca are the Founders and Artistic Directors. Olivia and Leanne are the Artistic Advisers. They all trained as actors, graduating from Drama Centre, London, Italia Conti and The London School of Musical Theatre. 

This is your third time producing Spiral, the second time at The Bread & Roses, how has the project evolved over the time?
We are committed to developing the work of new writers and giving directors and actors the opportunity to showcase their talent. The projects evolve by pursuing innovative new plays and continuing to search for new talent. We are always thrilled to hear when our creatives progress within the industry. 

'Bag of Beard’ co-directors, Ryan Hutton & Alexander Knott, on their first show Two Short Stories (6-10 March).

When did you first start creating Two Short Stories and how long did it take to make the production?
Ryan: The production is still being created as we speak. We have been trying to find a platform to debut a Bag of Beard production since leaving Drama School last year and when this slot arose we thought it would be fit our style perfectly. But the individual pieces are relatively new.
Alex: ‘Torn Apart’ started life as a dissertation piece at Italia Conti, so it’s had a workshop production before, but it’s playwrights are performing it in it’s current version. Whereas ‘Bath’ was only written a few months ago, so it’s pretty hot off the press.
Ryan: We see ourselves as a grassroots theatre company, so it’s proper rehearsing in living rooms and bedrooms whenever we get a chance. Both plays are in full swing, and we’ll come together as a whole company in the next few weeks and start running the show in its entirety. 

​What’s the inspiration behind these two plays?
Alex: Dynamic new writing was always the inspiration for our first piece. Two Short Stories is our statement as a company, that we’re out to create theatre that hits an audience, and leaves them wondering before we outstay our welcome.
Ryan: And Torn Apart is really gritty, modern theatre that is going to be as touching as it is funny, and wouldn’t be out of place at the Royal Court, that kind of style. London characters, with heart.
Alex: Bath is more surreal, almost Pinter-esque. Lots of fast dialogue and out of control characters, about gambling and spivs in the 60s. Both pieces have a driving intensity and rhythm behind them. 

London Irish Productions tell us all about their upcoming show, Constellations by Nick Payne (28th Feb - 4th March).

Why did you pick a revival of Constellations as your next production?
After we finished Patrick Marber's "Closer" last summer I was on the look out for our new show and I remembered a conversation in a pub with a friend of mine who had previously been to see "Constellations" in The Royal Court. I remember him telling me about the profound effect the show had on members of the audience; that afterwards people didn't move from their seats because they were still trying to process their emotions about what they had just witnessed on stage. I read a copy of the play and the plans started moving very swiftly after that. 

Tell us more about London Irish Productions! What's the company's history and background?
We are a company in its infancy. "Constellations" will be our second outing and our first in London. I decided to form the company because I was getting to an age where I wanted to do my own thing, whether that be acting, writing, producing or directing. So in order for me to do that this seemed like a logical step. I have lived in Surrey for the past 10 years but am originally from Northern Ireland. I was very keen on having a theatre company that could bridge the gap between London and Ireland. We have some very exciting plans coming up including our one-act play festival for emerging and new writers and also a series of rehearsed readings which we will hold open auditions for.

And who are the people involved in Constellations?
When our wonderful Director Charlotte Peters came to talk to us about directing the show we were immediately taken by her warmth and excitement in which she talked about the play. She understood the play. She was excited about the characters of Roland and Marianne and their love story. After meeting Charlotte we were absolutely buzzing and we knew immediately that we all wanted to work for her and she was the perfect fit for this show.
Roland is played by Lee Thomas. Lee directed our production of "Closer" last summer and after a cast change one week before the show he stepped in to play the emotionally complex character of Larry. After seeing Lee on stage I knew he was perfect for the part of Roland.
Marianne is played by Kat Perrett. Kat played Alice for us in "Closer". She is an exceptional actor and seeing the onstage relationship between her and Lee during the show I knew that they would be perfect casting for Roland and Marianne's love story.

And what can we most look forward to from your production?
A wonderful love story.

Constellations runs 28th February to 4th March.

​My new verbatim play, In The Tall Grass, opens at the Bishop Arts Theatre Center in Dallas, Texas later this year. I am delighted to host a two-day workshop exploring the verbatim technique in London, at the Bread & Roses Theatre in March. I will share my working practice, tips and experience of bringing this piece to stage - as well as discussing my first verbatim play, The Countess.
 
In The Tall Grass is about the murder of Shade Schuler, a 22-year-old transgender woman whose body was found dumped in a field in the medical district of Dallas on July 31st, 2015. Shade’s story is set against the backdrop of wider atrocities across the US, which saw at least 23 trans or gender-nonconforming people murdered in 2015 alone – more than the total number of trans murders than in any other year that advocates had recorded; and which is increasing every year.
 
"America needs to hear this story" In The Tall Grass, R&D Audience.
 
Verbatim theatre felt to me the most authentic way to tell this story on stage, by taking an immersive and journalistic approach to playwriting, whilst forging lasting relationships and building trust within the transgender community in Dallas and across Texas. The process involved hours and hours of interviews on tape, transcribing these recordings and then working with hundreds of pages of raw material to edit, shape and form a piece of theatre with a satisfying dramatic arc and a coherent narrative. When an audience watches the play, I want them to take on my role and witness the harrowing testimonies as though first hand.
 
Theatre has an incredible reach, and for me, verbatim theatre has the added punch being able to engage with people on a human level. Verbatim plays can break down complex social issues and promote change, by presenting a digestible, authentic piece of theatre, with clear messages to take-home. As human beings, we can't help but relate to and empathise with storytelling that talks to the human condition. With In The Tall Grass, it's really about engaging and telling unheard stories from a disenfranchised section of society. I have always been very clear in saying that it's not my job to give transwomen a voice... they already have a voice. What I am trying to do it to use my skills as a playwright to give their voices and their stories and testimonies a platform, and hopefully to take them to the widest audience possible. I believe that it is only through sharing these tragedies, and educating those outside of the community and unaware, or ignorant to them that we can hope for real change.

- Paul Kalburgi
 
“There is a sense of urgency about this project that we couldn't ignore, especially given our political climate. A project of this magnitude very seldom comes along in a theatre’s lifespan.”  - Teresa Colman Wash, Executive Artistic Director

Paul Kalburgi is running a 2-day-workshop on Verbatim Technique on 4th & 5th March for only £50 for both days.

​My play Necessity is inspired by a true event. Someone I know received in error, and read, a letter meant for somebody else - a married neighbour who had had an affair that produced a child. The letter was sent to tell this person that they would never see the child. It was like something out of a film. When I was told this (true) story what interested me most, rather than the personal circumstances of the individuals in that situation, was the difficult decision that the person with the letter and this knowledge might now face. Should they deliver it and destroy a family, or withhold it and deny a parent knowledge of the child they don't know they have? This was the spark that became the story of Mish and Patrick, a young couple who one day receive a letter in Necessity. 

The play received its first production at the Brighton Fringe Festival last year and was produced by Broken Silence Theatre. Developing new writing is the company's focus and being Brighton based they have a history of growing new work there and finding life for projects further afield. The play is not topical in its dramatic setup, but Broken Silence valued what the play could achieve in its tone and naturalism. Together we saw an opportunity for a production that could explore the challenge of balancing need with choosing the life you want, in a way that resonates with how we experience our lives today. We were lucky to bring together a cast that brought those themes to life in a naturalistic and compelling way. The result was a very real and tense piece of theatre, a sell-out run and some good reviews.

The upcoming run of Necessity at the Bread & Roses Theatre is the next step up for the show. We learned a lot about how the play works when it went up in front of an audience. We know there is more to bring out of the characters and relationships, further layers and complexities to share. For this run we are also pleased to welcome a new actor to the cast. This is all changing the reading of the play in some really intriguing ways and our rehearsals are an ongoing reminder to me that even if you know a play (like you wrote it or something!) there are infinite possibilities for its interpretation. Coming to the Bread & Roses has also offered a chance to evolve how we are staging Necessity. All of this will inspire a richer experience for those who see the play. Of course I would say that. Because it's true.

- Paul Macauley 

Necessity runs 31st January to 4th February at 7.30pm