Hackney's Arcola Theatre reopens this month with an eclectic festival of art and performance in a brand new outdoor space.
Today I'm Wiser runs at Arcola Outside and showcases new work in progress from a range of theatre companies including an in-house adaptation of Pierre de Marivaux’s raucous romantic comedy of sex and class, The Game of Love and Chance.
Also on the bill are Roann McCloskey exploring sexuality and power in My Father The Tantric Masseur, Gemma Lawrence's Sunnymead Court detailing an uplifting queer romance, Tower Theatre's Jubilee Voices, a series of monologues by Year 6 children examining what it means to be black, and The Narcissist, a one man show blending stand up, dance and rap.
Benny and the Greycats is a work in progress telling the story of a family of Anglo-Indian musicians in the 1960s who move to Sheffield. And What's In A Name? uses historical stories from Coram charity's Founding Hospital archive as inspiration for a rap and spoken word piece exploring the identities of young people who have experienced Care.
Elsewhere William Ludwig and Dean Austin explore resistance in music with satirical songs from Berlin cabarets to protest songs, and veteran comic Mark Thomas returns to Arcola with Seriously Annoying a new show about the state outlawing annoyance. Anytime The Wind Can Change is a heartwarming show blending shadow puppetry, live music, cabaret and storytelling.
Created by award-winning designer Jon Bausor, Arcola Outside is the venue's solution to reopening safely and sustainably during the pandemic after closing its doors in March 2020.
Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen said: "Today I'm Wiser provides a platform for a diverse group of artists and companies to reunite with our audiences and our community, bringing conversations about our bonds, our shared experiences and our resilience back into the public domain."
Co-founder and Executive Producer Leyla Nazli added: “We are so pleased to announce the programme for a festival rooted in the idea of celebrating our creativity and optimism for the future. In spite of the disruptions and challenges of the past year, this festival invites us to see things in new ways and spark our collective desire for change.”
Today I'm Wiser runs from June 27. Bookings https://www.arcolatheatre.com/
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