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Suitable for age 14+
These Four Streets runs for approximately 80 minutes, with no interval.
- Director: Gwenda Hughes
- Designer: Michael Holt
- Sound Designer: James Earls-Davis
- Lighting Designer: Simon Bond
Special Dates
- After Dark : Wed 18 February
- BSL Interpreted Performance : Fri 27 February
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Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company presents
These Four Streets
Thu 12 Feb 2009 – Sat 28 Feb 2009
The Door
By Naylah Ahmed, Sonali Bhattacharyya, Jennifer Farmer, Lorna French, Amber Lone and Cheryl Akila Payne
Naseem is the proud new owner of the African Queen Beauty Salon. Determined to make a success of the business, she delays locking up her shop one night for a final appointment, but the customer – an unruly teenager – wants more from Naseem than a haircut.
In the offices of Tabs Cabs, radio operator Grace is one of the first to hear about the violence spreading through the neighbourhood. Alone in the taxi firm’s office, behind a door that doesn’t lock, Grace just wants to remain unnoticed until things calm down. Then a man walks in and demands a hammer…
These Four Streets tells the stories of over 30 characters living and working in an inner city area. It is a collaboration between six young female writers, inspired by their own meetings and interviews with dozens of local people who were connected to or affected by the Lozells disturbances of October 2005, where the rumour of a rape sparked disorder leading to a man’s death, widespread damage and a fracture between two communities that had previously appeared to be living happily alongside one another.
The play explores the power of rumour and what it feels like to live in a place that everybody else has given up on. It is the story of a divided community and of the people brave enough to reach across that divide.
Commissioned by The REP, this production, supported by the Sir Barry Jackson Trust, will also tour regionally.
| Date | Time | Date information |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 12th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Fri 13th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Sat 14th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Mon 16th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Tue 17th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Wed 18th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | After Dark |
| Thu 19th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Fri 20th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Sat 21st Feb 2009 | 13:30 | |
| Sat 21st Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Tue 24th Feb 2009 | 13:30 | |
| Tue 24th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Wed 25th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Thu 26th Feb 2009 | 13:30 | |
| Thu 26th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | |
| Fri 27th Feb 2009 | 13:30 | |
| Fri 27th Feb 2009 | 19:00 | BSL Interpreted Performance |
| Sat 28th Feb 2009 | 19:00 |
“Gwenda Hughes’s evocative production”
The Times
“Crucially, the versatile cast don’t strain for sympathy. Brusque beginnings lead to tender endings”
The Times
“the 80 minutes are over too soon”
The Times
“The vivid ethnic rivalry culminates in a joint grief, a shared sense of fragility”
The Times
“Special credit must be given to Lorna Laidlaw, who turns out several excellent scenes as a worried Jamaican Aunt and a grieving mother; also Bharti Patel, as both a proud Asian businesswoman and wife and a terrified teenager.”
Metro
“Director Gwenda Hughes ratchets up the tension by keeping the simmering violence out of sight yet within earshot.”
Whatsonstage Midlands
“In a strong cast, Lorna Laidlaw is outstanding”
Whatsonstage Midlands
“Thankfully, hope and decency outweigh fear and conflict in These Four Streets. The final scene points to the power of reconciliation and friendship…These Four Streets is ambitious, successful and, ultimately, hopeful.”
Whatsonstage Midlands
- : Matthew-James Brown
- : Lorna Laidlaw
- : Janice McKenzie
- : Inam Mirza
- : Bharti Patel
- : Elexi Walker
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Comments
amanda davis from sheldon
would love to take my teenagers to see this play as i was bought up in Handsworth and experienced the Handsworth riots.
jim graham from west midlands
Went to see this 14th february,I love the 'close up and personal' aspect of the door theatre, the play itself was well written and well acted out. Actors and actresses worked tirelessly to keep us entertained and kept us gripped as to what was going to happen next, I give the actors and writers 5 stars for this performance, well done the rep , more of this type of play please.
Georgie Wright from Northfield
Went to see this play tonight. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much. I'd gone because a friend invited me and I'm not a regular theatre goer by any means. Plus it was my first trip to The Door. I really enjoyed the performance. Walked to the train station smiling. It was funny and moving and the quality of each individual performance was really high. Recommended.
sophia (17) from Birmingham
I loved these four streets and would highly recommend it. Thought provoking, moving and surprisingly funny at times An exceptional performance! Go and see it!! =]
Kerry from Staffordshire (formerly Brum)
Took my teenage daughter to see this production, and how glad I am. The characters so familiar and well formed, and the players did an amazing job bringing them to life. We laughed, cried, and thought. Go see.
Kieron Kerr from London
I am very much looking forward to seeing this play. There are some fine actors involved particularly Inam Mirza who is creating quite a buzz following his performances in the recent BBC Radio 4 season.
Blanche from The world! (At present Handsworth)
More of this type of theatre please! Real emotional rollercoaster and plenty of room for discussion about points of views raised. Hope many teens and young adults get chance to see this. Hope people in the direct and surrounding area are encouraged to go and see it. Have recommended it to family and friends. Hats off to all involved!
Ricky from Wolverhampton
Saw this on Tuesday the 17th: absolutely excellent. Well done to all involved.
Belinda from Oldbury
Went to see this play on Saturday. The actors were very versatile and you believed totally in the character that they portrayed. Well done to everyone, superb writing, superb acting.
Kate from Birmingham
Going to see it on Friday night and really looking forward to it. It has had very good reviews and people i've spoken to who have seen it say that the acting is superb! Can't wait. :)
steve from birmingham
Having lived in lozells and taught in lozells i was very interested to see how the play dealt with the events surrounding the riots. I thought that the characterisations were brilliant, totally believable I've met them all before. The students i took to see the production were totally absorbed even though they had no real understanding of the tensions that were underlying the community at the time. The only thing i felt might have been worked on was making some aspects of the storyline clearer. At times it was difficult to follow what had happened to certain characters. This was a minor problem in what was otherwise a great peice of thought provoking theatre.
Lorna from Birmingham
This is a fantastic production with a strong cast. A special mention must go to Lorna Laidlaw who was outstanding.
Emma Allsopp from Burton - On - Trent
It was fantastic i would definately recommend this.
Mark Hale from Sedgley
I saw this at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton. An excellent production, it is thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time. The cast really brought the characters to life, and showed just how easily tensions can explode. Well done.
ayesha brandon from burton-on-trent
this play is the best play ive ever seen it was amazing i would definatly reccomend it thankyou ayesha
Alissia from Birmingham, Smethwick
I can't wait to watch this play, I know it will be very interesting as the Riots affected loads of people including myself. I spend a lot of my young childhood in Lozells as i went to Lozells Primary school and was a little upset when I realised what was going on in the area. Hope it will be a fantastic performance and good luck!