Starting Blocks offers the opportunity to create new theatre work with the support of Camden People's Theatre, as part of a peer network that encourages collaboration and engagement between participating artists.
Over ten weeks, these selected artists meet weekly to share practice, ideas and their developing works. They are also given space to develop their project and practice. The scheme runs from January to March 2018, allowing time for the participants to develop works-in-progress performances. This event is the showcase of their work. This year's participants include Alex Roberts, Charlotte Fraser, Claire Gaydon, Peyvand Sadeghian, Sara Dawood, Tom Chamberlain and Jack Tricker.
No Place Like Home by Alex Roberts. A devised piece of theatre about acts of violence in LGBTQ+ nightlife venues. Mixing spoken word and a live score it asks the question; has there ever been a place all queer people can truly call home?
POPS by Charlotte Fraser. A show about our cities and how we move through them, combining storytelling, music and documentary. What is public space and why should we care about it?
Piece of Me by Claire Gaydon. When Claire was a kid she wanted to be Britney Spears. She wanted people to take photographs and videos of her wherever she went. Recently Claire discovered the prolific amount of CCTV we have in London, and that under data protection law, camera owners are required to provide individuals with copies of their data if requested. Claire decided to use this to her own advantage. To live out her fantasy and become the popstar she had always wanted to be.
Parisa Naeni: Citizen of the Islamic Republic of Iran by Peyvan Sadeghian. My name is Peyvand Sadeghian. I am a British citizen. This is the name on my British passport. I also have an Iranian passport, with my photo, but the name on that reads Parisa Naeni (long story, I may or may not tell you about it). Who is Parisa Naeni? Not me. Combining drag and puppetry, Peyvand/Parisa will try to untangle the impact of what passport you hold has on how your life plays out.
ARAB(ITCH) by Sara Dawood welcomes you to bear witness to the pleasures and the pitfalls of what it means to be young, Arab and queer in the world today. Sara Dawood's debut solo show marries drag, cabaret and performance poetry to celebrate and question the ways in which cultural expectations and sexual identity collide.
Suffolk in Colour by Tom Chamberlain & Jack Tricker Jack is from Stowmarket. Tom is from Ipswich. We are both from Suffolk. Sunny Suffolk. Where the fields are green, and the cottages painted Suffolk Pink. We love Suffolk. And we want to show you why.
Tobi King Bakare and this theatre deserve a shout-out for such a young, diverse audience. There is so much talk about audiences being full of over 60s and why, why can’t theatres get the crowds in to reflect society in general? Well, I’m happy to say that on a rainy Thursday evening, the theatre was completely full.
Caiti Grove on Before I Go in CPT's Spring 2023 season London Theatre Reviews
