Theatre From The Front Rooms of Birmingham

This month we took theatre to the front rooms of Birmingham, Lynette Dakin, Assistant Producer tells us more.

At the start of the year we put a call out to Birmingham residents who were interested in having a play created and performed especially for them in their front rooms. Over the last few weeks these bespoke pieces of theatre have been performed across the city; from kitchens in Erdington to Community Centres in Smethwick.

Each Birmingham resident who applied was paired with a writer, director or theatre maker from our artist development programme, REP Foundry, who then visited their host and came away with their stories and ideas. Then, in just a week, the artists were challenged to write, rehearse and finally perform the piece of theatre back in the front rooms they started in for the host and their friends and family. 

The artists used the stories and lives of the hosts to create unique pieces of theatre. This saw a range of pieces; from a court battle over the price of Freddos to an arctic voyage which takes a twist after the appearance of a talking penguin. The pieces were performed by the artists themselves and a range of Birmingham-based professional actors.

The unique performances are part of Birmingham Repertory Theatre's commitment to take The REP's work into the communities of Birmingham and to develop new work that explores and celebrates the stories of our wonderful city. As one of our hosts said of the experience, “It's something I will treasure for the rest of my life.”