Ahead of Hazel's debut play opening at The Bread & Roses Theatre next week we spoke with her about the creation of the show and what to expect.

What inspired you to create this show?
Believe it or not, Blueberries for the Rainbow is my first full length play. I wrote the first scene as part of a short online playwrighting course in 2021 and it just grew from there. 
I desperately wanted to write a play that looked at how modern mothers are treated and how their needs are so often neglected, mostly by themselves and the people closest to them. Blueberries does this. It says to the audience: “Look! This is what happens when mothers are constantly put to the bottom of the pile. It is not ok and needs to change.”
Modern motherhood is a minefield of expectation and there is huge pressure to be perfect, often leaving mothers to feel they have failed before they have even really started.  
I believe this is why there is still such a cloud of silence surrounding post-natal depression. Many mothers don’t want to admit how they are feeling. There’s this crazy idea that struggling is all part of motherhood and women should just get on with it. 
I wanted to write a play that exposed society for its treatment of mothers, raised awareness of postnatal depression and helped mothers who are struggling feel less alone.
 
Why this story?
The story behind Blueberries came about after I read about The First 1001 Day Movement. Basically, this is a campaign to highlights how important the first 1001 days (from conception to birth) is in a child's life. 
While I agree this is an important movement, my initial though was – ‘that’s putting even more pressure on mothers’. And my second as – ‘what about the first 1001 days of being a mother?’ I wanted to write something from the mother's perspective at this time, as she is so often forgotten.
Blueberries starts on the 402nd day in one mothers’ parenting journey, when the continued lack of support results in a catastrophic event. It then goes back and forth over time, to find out what led to this point and how through more support and societal change, it could have been prevented.

What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
This is a political satire poking fun at the entirety of the British Establishment.
Who better to be the mouthpiece for that than someone who has been spat out from its core, Prince Andrew.

You describe the piece as a pacey parody what do audiences have to look forward to?
Yes it’s pacey, funny and rude and makes some valid points about how we are mesmerised into believing in the legitimacy of people who have influence over us.

Have there been any obstacles in the creation of No Sweat?
It’s been a pretty smooth ride. As it’s a one man show it’s relatively easy to stage. Affordable rehearsal space has been difficult to find.

Who are the collaborators on this production?
Melanie Percy has done a great job with the lighting. I collaborated with my daughter Oriel with the design and props, and Jasper who plays the mouthy Prince has done a great job in bringing a world class idiot to life.

Who should see this show and why?
Anyone who has the smallest shred of respect for the Monarchy. You know who you are! Anyone with and MBE or OBE might want to keep that quiet.

What Inspired you to create this show, why this story
After our show Botox or Bust, we had done rewrites, and were working towards a Rehearsed Reading  of the new version of the show,  then Covid, social distancing and lockdown hit.    To keep writing and to keep sane,  and to keep in line with social distancing rules,  Real Housewives was born as a spin off show from BoB.    It is written around 3 characters who had proved popular,  which would make it easier to stage and tour.

What do audiences have to look forward to?
Fun, silly, flamboyant characters,  and total fantastic drama queens, “I do that “ moments.

Have there been any obstacles in its  creation?
Not least Covid and social distancing, but keeping the team on board and enthusiastic, keeping the faith and the vision.

Who are the collaborators on this production?
Monika Brodowska, Terri Spencer, Nick Duncombe, Duncan Trew and Graeham Lawrence. 

How a vanishing, pre-internet south London and a chance conversation about a comatose patient inspired Mark Bastin to write To Have and To Hold
 
For me, To Have and To Hold is the realisation of a long-held ambition. I’d wanted for some time to write a piece which captured the world my parents came from. A working class south London long before the internet, a world of pubs, going to the pictures and meeting people at the local palais. I was also keen to write a love story, but one from the viewpoint of a life lived, as opposed to the heady rush of the first few months or years.
 
The idea for the play was eventually suggested by my partner’s aunt, who at the time was one of a team of three home-carers looking after an elderly woman who had for some months been in a comatose state. She remarked on how loving the woman’s husband was, how caring, which was ironic in a way given the terrible life she’d led him when she was well. I’m not sure why, but her comment stayed with me. Why was he so caring, I wondered? Was it that he loved her unequivocally? Or, given her many infidelities, did he finally have her all to himself? Was his caring for her in some way a form of revenge?

Ahead of opening DEATH AND THE MAIDEN at The Bread & Roses Theatre, we spoke with Fenia Gianni of triada theatre about the show.

​What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
This particular play, Death and the Maiden, is a powerful story on freedom and justice and the impact that political abuses have on the past, present and future of the everyday person. The same time it is a story of love, a couple that has to find trust between them again and survive their skeletons in the closet against all odds. However, it is also a play about revenge. How fear and abuse can destroy the mental well being and drive people towards uncharacteristic actions, maybe even violence?

With triada theatre company, our mission is to perform plays that focus on mental health and political freedom of expression, and raise social awareness on everyday issues that affect us all such as human rights, relationships, equality and diversity. This play is a perfect example of the message we want to convey to our audiences. 

What do audiences have to look forward to?
This is an intense, almost cinematic in each approach, dark, immersive, psychological thriller. The aim of our production is to bring our audience 'into the world of our characters' and take them on a roller coaster ride through suspense and unexpected events on stage. 

Have there been any obstacles in the creation?
It has been an unbelievable experience for our company to create this immersive performance. We chose to premiere the play in the living room of one of our friend's apartments in order to build step by step the intimate and close-up as well as intense atmosphere that we have created for our audiences. This has enabled us to create a piece of theatre that uses space in a very interesting and diverse way and gives you that feel that you are in someone's house and you are witnessing what the main characters are going through!

Who are the collaborators on this production?
We have a lovely, diverse team of creatives. I am the producer of the play and I have co-directed the show with 3 more creatives, Angela Dezlein our original director, Matt Turpin an actor and director and John Newcombe an actor, musician and director. We have our lovely light and sound tech Strat Mastoris that will use light and sound in a unique way to create this tense, immersive experience and delve into the audiences' emotions. And we are fortunate to be joined for the first time in the performance, by Music Composer Mark Parr that he has written the original music for our play, following on the dark themes of this production.

Who should see this show & why?
Everyone should see this show, as long as they are over 15 year old due to the tension and the themes that will be discussed as well as the language used. It is a play as I said before that will touch on every single person in the audience and will make them reflect on their own relationships and injustices and personal situations beyond their control. It is for the everyday person!

Cheer Up Slug by Tamsin Rees explores friendship between Will and Bean who were childhood friends. But they’re not kids anymore and the adult world is a scary place. In an empty field armed with just a tent, a Duke of Edinburgh Award trip becomes more complicated than either of them planned. Ahead of opening (7-9 Nov 22) we spoke with Shot in the Dark Theatre the team behind this heartwarming story.

What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
When I first read Cheer Up Slug I instantly connected with Bean, I enjoyed the pace of the writing, the comedy and the silliness. Both Bean and Will are very complex characters and you learn a lot about them in very subtle ways. It’s lots of fun and is very physical and messy and allows room for a lot of play and creativity. It has a couple twists and turns which keeps the audience on their toes as it lures you into a bit of a false sense of security. I think it’s an important story to be told as it tackles issues of consent and boundaries. I know I’m not the only person to have connected with Bean when first reading this story. This story actually inspired us to create the theatre company. - Charis

What do audiences have to look forward to?
Hobnobs, Golden syrup, mud, Vimto, lipstick and slugs. - Charis

Who should see this show and why? 
Anyone who has ever been a teenager will get something from Cheer Up Slug. We look at those clunky, awkward parts of growing up and not wanting to grow up that everyone will recognise and we'll all laugh and cry and cringe together. 

The audience comes on the journey with us as these characters learn more about each other, much more about themselves, and everything changes. - Hannah

 BoyBi is an exhilarating  one man show exploring the adventures and adversity of growing up bisexual. Written and performed by 19 year old Evan Reynolds it first showed at the Clapham Fringe 2022 and is now back by popular demand! We sat down with Evan to talk about the making of such an honest piece of work...

What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
I always like to say that I want to create work that I wish I’d seen growing up, and for me, I never saw a piece like BoyBi in any form of media, really let alone theatre! This is a show that I would’ve loved to have seen, it would’ve massively helped my self discovery, and I think it would’ve been one of the only pieces I felt truly seen in, so I wanted to be able to do that for people like me and anyone who may not realise they’re like me, or even anyone who just wants to see the world through my lense.

You describe the piece as a exhilarating, what do audiences have to look forward to?
I think the audience should expect to have a lot of fun, the piece is rooted in comedy and is constantly making jokes and very unique references. In my opinion it’s amazing how the piece goes on such a journey but never leaves George’s bedroom, it’s exhilarating in a sense that is a rollercoaster, and you can’t really believe how much has been covered in 55 minutes. And hopefully they should expect a tune or two ;)

Have there been any obstacles in the creation of BoyBi?
Overall, it has been pretty plain sailing, but with the piece being semi autobiographical, it does bring some challenges, sometimes I felt as if there was a mental barrier as I didn’t want to offend or hurt any of my friends or family. 
​Although BoyBj is rooted in comedy. It still touches on some very emotional topics and that’s what makes it so raw and beautiful, however in the process I was so worried what my friends or family would think having to hear the way I felt in past experiences.

Who should see this show & why?
In my opinion, the show is so attractive to so many different type of people. From our first run at the fringe, it was amazingly well received by queer people, but also by older generations and then also some of the most ‘manly’ men I know we’re sobbing in the audience, so truly I think it’s great for everybody.
​But in its simplest form it’s a love letter to people who have struggled growing up bisexual people who don’t feel like they’ve been or represented in the media. However, I truly think it can be appreciated anybody who just wants to come, have a good time and see the world through a bi lense :)