Coming to The Bread & Roses Theatre this September is TALK, a new play by Rhys Deans. Inspired by real-life experiences and the need for open conversation, “Talk” features three friends who gather at a local pub. As the night unfolds, they gradually open up to each other, revealing their personal battles with mental health. The play explores the struggles, triumphs, and the ultimate power of friendship to heal and support one another during challenging times. We spoke with creator Rhys Deans and actor Christopher Maxwell about the making and performing the show!

What inspired your minimalist, modern adaptation of "Hedda Gabler"?
Mya (Director): Hedda Gabler is a modern play, so many layers can be brought to the surface to make it resonate with  a current audience. Most of my inspiration came from Ibsen himself, and the mysteries that surround the actual plot of Hedda Gabler. Ibsen gives us very little context about the pasts of these characters, which made ‘thriving in the unknown’ a big goal for us. In picking and choosing what we hope to reveal in our production, we hope to leave the audience searching for their own answers, answers that stay with everyone a little bit differently.
From an aesthetic standpoint, I would say that Jamie Lloyd’s productions are my greatest influences. I love how minimalist theatre forces you to imagine the story for yourself. In the case of Hedda, your experience of the play is completely unique to you. You can imagine this world in a way that is different from the person sitting next to you. The Tesman living room is not mine, it’s yours - make Hedda Gabler what you will.

How do you balance Ibsen’s poetic naturalism with contemporary elements in this production?
Mya: There is a certain poetry found in the way that Ibsen’s plays are a reflection of real life. He wrote about real problems, real moral qualms, and challenged what societies believed themselves to be. Speaking staging-wise, this is seen in his generous stage directions made to be a replica of reality. We’ve been experimenting with some expressionist staging, which removes some of the tradition of Ibsen. To preserve some of this heritage, we have inserted some Scandinavian poetry throughout the play. With minimalism, we’re letting the story speak for itself - keeping Ibsen’s values shown through his words at the forefront. 
​
What were the biggest artistic challenges you faced in bringing this modern adaptation of "Hedda Gabler" to life?
Mya: It is daunting to navigate such a well-known and loved play. Balancing the heritage of Hedda Gabler while bringing to life a ‘re-imagination’ makes for a difficult task, but also the most fun. I have often had to re-evaluate and re-discover my own concepts to best represent Ibsen within a very text-centred, stylized show. This is mainly found in the emotional ties between the characters. How they speak and move in relation to each other are the only clues we have about their pasts, which weighs on Hedda herself. I am so lucky to be working with an incredible, insightful group of people to build this world, they really are the greatest collaborators. 

​Can you tell us about the inspiration behind “The Double Digit Ceremony"? What motivated you to create this particular story?

"The Double Digit Ceremony" was inspired by a desire to address and challenge gender norms, especially for children at a critical age when they start forming their identities. The creators aimed to provide a narrative that normalises non-binary and any gender non-conforming experiences and empowers young people to embrace their true selves. The motivation stemmed from the recognition of the importance of representation and the need for stories that reflect diverse experiences in a society that often adheres to rigid gender roles.

The synopsis mentions themes of identity and belonging. How does the story of Frankie reflect these themes, and why did you choose to explore them in a theatrical setting?

Frankie's story is a poignant exploration of identity and belonging, as they navigate the challenges of societal expectations and self-discovery. Theatre, with its immersive and emotive nature, provides an ideal setting to delve into these themes, allowing audiences to connect deeply with Frankie's journey. By witnessing Frankie's struggles and triumphs on stage, young viewers can see reflections of their own experiences and feel validated in their own quests for identity and belonging.

Music plays a significant role in the show. How did you integrate live music into the storytelling process, and what emotions or messages do you aim to convey through the music?

Live music is intricately woven into the fabric of "The Double Digit Ceremony," enhancing the storytelling by underscoring emotional moments and highlighting key themes. As actor-musicians, we have utilised instruments to make the narrative more accessible and engaging for children. The music conveys a range of emotions, from joy and celebration to introspection and resilience, reinforcing the message that embracing one's true self is a powerful and liberating experience. 

We're lucky enough to have Enlight Insight Theatre back at The Bread & Roses Theatre this June with their Rebel Jam Cabaret. We spoke with the team about the highs and the why's!

​What inspired you to create Rebel Jam? Why a cabaret?
We have always wanted to have several branches to our work as a company.
● Commercial: being our films and big productions either scripted or devised.
● Youth: Working with youth organisations and schools running workshops.
● And community...
When it came to thinking of what to do to engage the community we looked at what was most needed in the industry right now. It became clear through research that the performance industry was becoming harder to get into as a new comer. Applications to perform at festivals and theatres require you to have photo evidence of shows. Spotlight requires you to have credits under your name before joining their platform. This need is what gave life to Rebel Jam. A cabaret that allows emerging artists to get a performance credit in a fun and safe environment, whilst also getting the much needed performance photos.

​Who are the collaborators on Rebel Jam? Rebel Jam couldn’t happen without a variety of people.
● First and most importantly are the acts themselves! Rebel Jam has been designed for them and wouldn’t run without them! We are always grateful to each and every act who joins us. It’s our pleasure to support them!
● Next would be our Artistic Director Crystal (also know as Kiki.) They produce Reb Jam through scouting the acts both in person at open mics and variety nights and online. They come up with the theme for Rebel Jam and promote the cabaret on socials and in person. They create the promotional materials and they also secure and liaise with the venue throughout the creative process.
● Last but certainly not least are our Associate Artists Elsbeth and Aggie. Elsbeth is Reble Jams photographer who takes and edits all the show photos. Aggie is our lighting and sound technician who gathers all the cues from acts and ensures the smooth running of shows.

Playwright Tom Neill tells us what audiences can expect at the rehearsed reading of his new script inspired by the climate change conundrum. 

​What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?
I’m very interested in the topic of the environment and climate change, and thinking about what I can do to help, and in learning about how it’s going to affect future lives, not just my own. So I wanted to dig in to that more, translate the data and issues in to the everyday world, and put them on the level of personal relationships.

What do audiences have to look forward to?
The script is shaping up well, with some unexpected comedy, as well as deep drama and emotion. I’m working music in to the show to provide an entertaining commentary on events. The whole subject has tremendous conflicts built in, with different beliefs, expectations and reality crashing in to each other, in intrinsically dramatic ways. So audiences can expect the full maelstrom of theatrical variety to get their heads and hearts in to.
​
Have there been any obstacles in the creation of this show / script?
Absolutely! The report itself is a massive document full of scientific language and data. So the biggest obstacle is my own ignorance. But that makes it interesting; ‘how do I draw out the key points and make them understandable and entertaining?’ It’s fascinating, creative and educative.

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.

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.