Hello! We are the team behind A Proper Working-Class Sausage Roll, which is performing at The Bread and Roses Theatre on the 30th January to the 3rd February! The Bread and Roses Team have sent us a few questions about the show, and we’ve all contributed to the answers below!
Who are the collaborators on this production?
Naturally there is the cast: Arianna Gallenzi and Niall Humphryes, who swap between the two characters of the show each night. Then of course, Jamie Holland my talented Co-Producer, and Valentin Burwell, our sensational technician. And of course, myself, Adam Laboda, who wrote and directed the show! It's a really wonderful team. Ari and Valentin I worked with before a few times, whilst Jamie and Niall are newbies in my creative sphere! Excitingly, we have also partnered with an independent Australian musician, Matt Landi, who has written and produced an original song for the show!
What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
Truthfully, I was inspired by my parents, and the parents of my friends growing up. I watched them work hard every single day in difficult jobs to provide for both myself and my younger sibling as children, and thought, why was it so hard for them? How is it okay that they put in so much time and energy, and pain, in some cases, and yet we just about get by? Those same feelings now apply to me and my friends. And we’ve all had the dream of kidnapping a politician and telling them face-to-face about our problems, right? So that is what I started writing: a serious drama about a mother who takes a politician hostage to educate them on how difficult life is. But, as I continued to write, all I could think about was how weird the concept of kidnapping a politician is! And once I cast Arianna and Niall and started workshopping the script, it was just right to lean into the absurdity, and create, what I call, my own genre of theatre: Absurd-ish! Absurdist theatre rooted in naturalistic stories; which resulted in A Proper Working-Class Sausage Roll!
What is A Proper Working-Class Sausage Roll about?
The show is an absurd-ish play that follows a character, known only as ‘Holder’, who has accidentally kidnapped a Member of Parliament during a wild moment of psychosis after buying a Sausage Roll. Fed up with the way the system works, Holder tries to educate the captured politician on their experiences of life. However, ‘Captive's’ attempts to debate their way out of Holder’s custardy leads them down a wild path that exposes the privilege, corruption and idiocy that exists at the heart of the Government, all amongst some sexual innuendo and references to baked savoury goods!
You describe the piece as “a wild path that exposes the privilege, corruption and idiocy that exists at the heart of the Government” what do audiences have to look forward to?
Adam: I think the sheer absurdity of the show is something people have to look forward to, because parts of the show are just weird. I mean, that is what I wanted to create, so that's good! But I think the moments of passion and kindness, when the weirdness is stripped away and you are left with some real and beautiful moments of humanity and theatre - those are the parts people have the most to look forward to.
Jamie: It’s about the humour that stems from the privilege, corruption and idiocy. Audiences can look forward to a funny piece that reflects some of the feelings of resentment and frustration that exist within society today.
Arianna: Audiences can look forward to a comedic, independent theatre piece that uses humour to highlight the issues within today’s cost of living crisis.
Niall: You can expect wild humour mixed with the feeling of guilt.
Valentin: There is a stark contrast between the worlds that we live in, financially and in many other ways. Audiences can look forward to a humorous, absurd-ish clashing of worlds.
Who are the collaborators on this production?
Naturally there is the cast: Arianna Gallenzi and Niall Humphryes, who swap between the two characters of the show each night. Then of course, Jamie Holland my talented Co-Producer, and Valentin Burwell, our sensational technician. And of course, myself, Adam Laboda, who wrote and directed the show! It's a really wonderful team. Ari and Valentin I worked with before a few times, whilst Jamie and Niall are newbies in my creative sphere! Excitingly, we have also partnered with an independent Australian musician, Matt Landi, who has written and produced an original song for the show!
What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
Truthfully, I was inspired by my parents, and the parents of my friends growing up. I watched them work hard every single day in difficult jobs to provide for both myself and my younger sibling as children, and thought, why was it so hard for them? How is it okay that they put in so much time and energy, and pain, in some cases, and yet we just about get by? Those same feelings now apply to me and my friends. And we’ve all had the dream of kidnapping a politician and telling them face-to-face about our problems, right? So that is what I started writing: a serious drama about a mother who takes a politician hostage to educate them on how difficult life is. But, as I continued to write, all I could think about was how weird the concept of kidnapping a politician is! And once I cast Arianna and Niall and started workshopping the script, it was just right to lean into the absurdity, and create, what I call, my own genre of theatre: Absurd-ish! Absurdist theatre rooted in naturalistic stories; which resulted in A Proper Working-Class Sausage Roll!
What is A Proper Working-Class Sausage Roll about?
The show is an absurd-ish play that follows a character, known only as ‘Holder’, who has accidentally kidnapped a Member of Parliament during a wild moment of psychosis after buying a Sausage Roll. Fed up with the way the system works, Holder tries to educate the captured politician on their experiences of life. However, ‘Captive's’ attempts to debate their way out of Holder’s custardy leads them down a wild path that exposes the privilege, corruption and idiocy that exists at the heart of the Government, all amongst some sexual innuendo and references to baked savoury goods!
You describe the piece as “a wild path that exposes the privilege, corruption and idiocy that exists at the heart of the Government” what do audiences have to look forward to?
Adam: I think the sheer absurdity of the show is something people have to look forward to, because parts of the show are just weird. I mean, that is what I wanted to create, so that's good! But I think the moments of passion and kindness, when the weirdness is stripped away and you are left with some real and beautiful moments of humanity and theatre - those are the parts people have the most to look forward to.
Jamie: It’s about the humour that stems from the privilege, corruption and idiocy. Audiences can look forward to a funny piece that reflects some of the feelings of resentment and frustration that exist within society today.
Arianna: Audiences can look forward to a comedic, independent theatre piece that uses humour to highlight the issues within today’s cost of living crisis.
Niall: You can expect wild humour mixed with the feeling of guilt.
Valentin: There is a stark contrast between the worlds that we live in, financially and in many other ways. Audiences can look forward to a humorous, absurd-ish clashing of worlds.
Have there been any obstacles in the creation of A Proper Working-Class Sausage Roll?
Adam: Like all independent arts projects at the moment, finances have been the biggest obstacle, but I think we've done extremely well at budgeting and using our time together efficiently! We've managed to juggle having jobs, holidays, studying, and sickness, and have created a great show with a great message. And from a creative side, we’ve had to update the show every week or so, as some references to real-life scenarios update, which has been a wild time to keep up with!
Jamie: I think the main obstacles have been time and money. Although we all want to realise this project for what it can be, we are all working individuals during a rising cost-of-living crisis so that can be difficult at times.
Valentin: Projects like this take enormous amounts of (unpaid) effort, so I am extremely grateful to Adam, the cast and crew for putting in the hours to get this exciting piece off the ground!
Arianna: I don’t think there have been any real obstacles to the creation of this piece but I do believe that it has been challenging to find funding since we are a team that comes from a working class background. If anything, this challenge has pushed us to put even more passion into this project as it targets very real themes that we all have faced at some point or the other.
Niall: One of our larger issues we faced in this production was time and budget, although we faced this issue, we laughed in its face putting our hearts and minds into the production doing what it takes to make sure everyone enjoys it!
Who should see this show, and why?
I'd say there is something for everyone in our show, but UKIP voting Great-Aunt Beryl is definitely not our target audience, so please don't bring her along! That being said, the show is full of a universal comedy that will make everyone laugh, and beautiful, kind moments that will move everyone. The show is very accessible, and should be seen by anyone who needs that little nugget of happiness to lift their days after turning on the news. Its absurdism is a wonderful storytelling medium to discuss the class rift in our society, and can be seen by anyone - even if you see yourself reflected in what this show is satirising.
What attracted you to stage this production at The Bread & Roses Theatre?
The Bread and Roses Theatre is a beautiful venue rooted in working class history. It is a union run pub, with a Women and LGBTQ+ lead theatre in the heart of Clapham, a historically working-class area of London, with a history of great independent fringe theatre. It seemed like the perfect place for a show that is itself highlighting working class issues. It's also beautiful; have you seen it?
Adam: Like all independent arts projects at the moment, finances have been the biggest obstacle, but I think we've done extremely well at budgeting and using our time together efficiently! We've managed to juggle having jobs, holidays, studying, and sickness, and have created a great show with a great message. And from a creative side, we’ve had to update the show every week or so, as some references to real-life scenarios update, which has been a wild time to keep up with!
Jamie: I think the main obstacles have been time and money. Although we all want to realise this project for what it can be, we are all working individuals during a rising cost-of-living crisis so that can be difficult at times.
Valentin: Projects like this take enormous amounts of (unpaid) effort, so I am extremely grateful to Adam, the cast and crew for putting in the hours to get this exciting piece off the ground!
Arianna: I don’t think there have been any real obstacles to the creation of this piece but I do believe that it has been challenging to find funding since we are a team that comes from a working class background. If anything, this challenge has pushed us to put even more passion into this project as it targets very real themes that we all have faced at some point or the other.
Niall: One of our larger issues we faced in this production was time and budget, although we faced this issue, we laughed in its face putting our hearts and minds into the production doing what it takes to make sure everyone enjoys it!
Who should see this show, and why?
I'd say there is something for everyone in our show, but UKIP voting Great-Aunt Beryl is definitely not our target audience, so please don't bring her along! That being said, the show is full of a universal comedy that will make everyone laugh, and beautiful, kind moments that will move everyone. The show is very accessible, and should be seen by anyone who needs that little nugget of happiness to lift their days after turning on the news. Its absurdism is a wonderful storytelling medium to discuss the class rift in our society, and can be seen by anyone - even if you see yourself reflected in what this show is satirising.
What attracted you to stage this production at The Bread & Roses Theatre?
The Bread and Roses Theatre is a beautiful venue rooted in working class history. It is a union run pub, with a Women and LGBTQ+ lead theatre in the heart of Clapham, a historically working-class area of London, with a history of great independent fringe theatre. It seemed like the perfect place for a show that is itself highlighting working class issues. It's also beautiful; have you seen it?
What have been the highlights of the process?
Adam: There simply have been too many to choose just one. From the initial email confirming the venue, our weekly rehearsals at TheatreDeli, and waking up on New Year’s Eve with the finished copy of the song - there have been so many! Hopefully the rest of the team comes up with some better answers!
Arianna: I’ve really enjoyed playing around with different mannerisms and subtleties when rehearsing for both characters. It’s been really fun to try different things and see Niall’s reactions to them.
Niall: My favourite part of this production has been working with a new team of creatives, and working with them to create something beautiful. It's been amazing role-swapping with Arianna, and seeing how different our processes are!
Jamie: Getting a chance to work with this beautiful team! Every rehearsal and interaction with them is a creative breath of fresh air as a producer, whether that’s through the games we play, the laughs we have, or the scenes that we’ve nailed.
Valentin: As tech, I‘m as hands-on in the process, but I would say coming in and seeing rehearsals and seeing the progress the team has made has been great!
What do you think the future of British fringe theatre looks like and how do working class artists fit into it?
Adam: I think the future of British fringe theatre looks magnificent, and I am so excited to see what people will make in the future. Adversity and hardship always produce some of the most interesting art, sometimes as escape, sometimes as education, and sometimes in protest. Nobody can deny that we are currently experiencing some of the hardest times for artists ever, but it is those who are experiencing the worst of it now, the Working-Class, Global Majority, and Queer artists, that are going to keep this beautiful artform alive. The path will not be easy, but the world will be a better and more interesting place as a result.
Arianna: I think fringe theatre will always find a place in British culture as it often offers a provoking or fresh view of the world we live in, and I can only hope that working class artists are going to be given more accessible opportunities in the future.
Niall: Theatre will always be a massive part of British culture, and fringe opportunities help new and upcoming artists show off their work, so I don't see it going anywhere anytime soon. I think working class people like myself will always have a place in this industry, and a large part of my future and career will be making sure this happens.
Jamie: I always like to think it looks hopeful, with the amount of new working-class fringe artists emerging onto the scene and further chances for freedom of expression. However, without delving too much into the current economic and political climate, the recent Arts Council cuts are very reflective that it will be a harder struggle still for working-class artists to fit into the industry.
Valentin: I really couldn’t say. There will definitely always be a British fringe theatre, it’s just the question of how fringe it will be. And there will be working class artists with a lot to say, hopefully with some funding to say it.
Adam: There simply have been too many to choose just one. From the initial email confirming the venue, our weekly rehearsals at TheatreDeli, and waking up on New Year’s Eve with the finished copy of the song - there have been so many! Hopefully the rest of the team comes up with some better answers!
Arianna: I’ve really enjoyed playing around with different mannerisms and subtleties when rehearsing for both characters. It’s been really fun to try different things and see Niall’s reactions to them.
Niall: My favourite part of this production has been working with a new team of creatives, and working with them to create something beautiful. It's been amazing role-swapping with Arianna, and seeing how different our processes are!
Jamie: Getting a chance to work with this beautiful team! Every rehearsal and interaction with them is a creative breath of fresh air as a producer, whether that’s through the games we play, the laughs we have, or the scenes that we’ve nailed.
Valentin: As tech, I‘m as hands-on in the process, but I would say coming in and seeing rehearsals and seeing the progress the team has made has been great!
What do you think the future of British fringe theatre looks like and how do working class artists fit into it?
Adam: I think the future of British fringe theatre looks magnificent, and I am so excited to see what people will make in the future. Adversity and hardship always produce some of the most interesting art, sometimes as escape, sometimes as education, and sometimes in protest. Nobody can deny that we are currently experiencing some of the hardest times for artists ever, but it is those who are experiencing the worst of it now, the Working-Class, Global Majority, and Queer artists, that are going to keep this beautiful artform alive. The path will not be easy, but the world will be a better and more interesting place as a result.
Arianna: I think fringe theatre will always find a place in British culture as it often offers a provoking or fresh view of the world we live in, and I can only hope that working class artists are going to be given more accessible opportunities in the future.
Niall: Theatre will always be a massive part of British culture, and fringe opportunities help new and upcoming artists show off their work, so I don't see it going anywhere anytime soon. I think working class people like myself will always have a place in this industry, and a large part of my future and career will be making sure this happens.
Jamie: I always like to think it looks hopeful, with the amount of new working-class fringe artists emerging onto the scene and further chances for freedom of expression. However, without delving too much into the current economic and political climate, the recent Arts Council cuts are very reflective that it will be a harder struggle still for working-class artists to fit into the industry.
Valentin: I really couldn’t say. There will definitely always be a British fringe theatre, it’s just the question of how fringe it will be. And there will be working class artists with a lot to say, hopefully with some funding to say it.
What's next (for you / the show / the company)?
Adam: That's a good question. We’re hoping to continue to work and develop on APWCSR, updating it as society continues to provide us with material and performing on a semi-regular one-off basis. And then there is the next show, which I am starting to work on now!
Arianna: I have full faith in Laboda Productions as I have already been a part of a couple of projects with the company and I believe that Adam will undoubtedly keep creating wonderful stories. Personally I am going to be focusing on finding more projects to be part of as that is my long term career goal.
Niall: next for me, I will be graduating University this year and I'm also working on my final productions, so my short term plan is to do that and hopefully get an agent by then, I'd love to work with Laboda Productions again in the future and I can't wait to see what they create next, I'm sure this team will go on to create beauty and make it big some day!
Jamie: My short term future mostly just focuses on completing my Master’s degree, but I’m currently developing a few productions - some of which for the upcoming Edinburgh Fringe. The metaphorical sky’s the limit for A Proper Working-Class Sausage Roll in my opinion; I can’t wait to work with the team on another project in the future and to see what Adam has cooking up next.
Valentin: I have just moved to London and am navigating this big city life, hoping to get involved in theatre as tech and direction, although open to whatever may come my way. London can be a bit overwhelming, so I am taking it step-by-step and enjoying all projects I am able to support.
Thank you everyone for taking the time to read our interview, I hope that it’s given you an insight into our show! If you want to come and watch, tickets start at £10, and are available now from breadandrosestheatre.co.uk. And if you like what you see, be sure to give us a follow on @labodaprods on all our social media accounts.
Tickets available at: https://app.lineupnow.com/event/a-proper-working-class-sausage-roll
Adam: That's a good question. We’re hoping to continue to work and develop on APWCSR, updating it as society continues to provide us with material and performing on a semi-regular one-off basis. And then there is the next show, which I am starting to work on now!
Arianna: I have full faith in Laboda Productions as I have already been a part of a couple of projects with the company and I believe that Adam will undoubtedly keep creating wonderful stories. Personally I am going to be focusing on finding more projects to be part of as that is my long term career goal.
Niall: next for me, I will be graduating University this year and I'm also working on my final productions, so my short term plan is to do that and hopefully get an agent by then, I'd love to work with Laboda Productions again in the future and I can't wait to see what they create next, I'm sure this team will go on to create beauty and make it big some day!
Jamie: My short term future mostly just focuses on completing my Master’s degree, but I’m currently developing a few productions - some of which for the upcoming Edinburgh Fringe. The metaphorical sky’s the limit for A Proper Working-Class Sausage Roll in my opinion; I can’t wait to work with the team on another project in the future and to see what Adam has cooking up next.
Valentin: I have just moved to London and am navigating this big city life, hoping to get involved in theatre as tech and direction, although open to whatever may come my way. London can be a bit overwhelming, so I am taking it step-by-step and enjoying all projects I am able to support.
Thank you everyone for taking the time to read our interview, I hope that it’s given you an insight into our show! If you want to come and watch, tickets start at £10, and are available now from breadandrosestheatre.co.uk. And if you like what you see, be sure to give us a follow on @labodaprods on all our social media accounts.
Tickets available at: https://app.lineupnow.com/event/a-proper-working-class-sausage-roll
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