Kicked in The Sh*tter at The Hope Theatre

Regular readers of CTP will know that I am not only passionate about theatre but even more so for new writing.  Following writer Leon Fleming’s huge success with Sid he is back with Kicked in The Sh*tter. The production has been funded successfully by a crowdfunding campaign and you can book to see it at The Hope Theatre.

You can read the normal press release below as well as seeing some rehearsal photos but we wanted to know a little more about the play. So we posed the following question to writer Leon Fleming.

The play is set in Birmingham, why did you choose to stage it in London?

It wasn’t a conscious decision, I don’t think I did it with this play or with Sid; because I was working on it with Scott (the director) from the start, but generally most of my scripts will say they can be set anywhere (unless it does have a specific setting) except London. This is on purpose, because I think there is a tendency for audiences to believe that stories set in London can only happen in London, but when set somewhere else it has a kind of psychological effect which points to the idea that this story could happen absolutely anywhere.

When Scott said he would like to place Kicked in the Sh*tter in Birmingham, I thought it was a great idea! Scott being from Birmingham himself, lent some definite authenticity to the production, and I lived in Birmingham for two years myself; it’s a city I really love, and where my first produced play Monkeys in Toy Town was put on.

Putting it on in London first is, I suppose to a certain extent, a practical decision; Matthew at the Hope Theatre had seen the first draft and offered space for the play, Scott lives in London and there is a greater pool of actors and creatives in London than anywhere else, and there felt far more chance for the play to be seen and talked about if we put it on in London first. London is still the centre of the universe when it comes to theatre because there is so much of it and although there is some fantastic stuff happening all over the country, there are still far more opportunities for putting work on there than anywhere else in the UK.

Kicked In The Sh*tter

Press Release

Multiple Award-Nominated Team Behind West End Hit ‘SID’ Return with KICKED IN THE SH*TTER
Author: LEON FLEMING
Director: SCOTT LE CRASS
At The Hope Theatre, Islington, N1 1RL
21st March- 8th April 7.45pm (Tuesdays-Saturdays)
PRESS NIGHT: 7.45PM, THURSDAY 23RD MARCH 2017
Running Time: approx 75 minutes (no interval)

Depression. Sanctions. Anxiety. Self harm. Back to work. Substance Abuse.
JSA. AA. ESA. FA. PIP.

Sibling love and sibling dependency; Kicked in the Sh*tter is a bittersweet tale of a brother and sister struggling to live with mental health difficulties amidst the labyrinthine wreckage of a decayed welfare state. Regaled childhood squabbles and stories of hope and aspirations we all recognise, take us through this timely two-hander set in Birmingham, but lived and experienced across the UK.

Life is pretty sh*t when you’re trapped in a forever darkening world of dispassionate government policy with no way out. Holding on to each other might be the only thing stopping you drown. Leon Fleming’s new play is a story of struggle and hope for those who fall through the cracks today and every day.

But this isn’t poverty porn; there’s nothing sexy about despair.

Kicked in the Sh*tter is co-commissioned by Theatre in the Mill, Bradford and comes from the team that created the award nominated West End hit Sid. ★★★★★

Cast

Him James Clay
Her Helen Budge

Creatives

Producer 5pound5 Theatre in a co-commission
with Theatre in the Mill
Writer Leon Fleming
Director Scott Le Crass
Designer Justin Williams
Lighting Designer Jai Morjaria
Music Adam Langston
Assistant Designer Jonny Rust
Associate LX Teresa Nagel
Stage Manager Ella Dixon
Assistant Director Robert Hook

Company Information

5pound5 Theatre wants to give a platform to regional voices and to those who are not heard or understood

About Sid

“A masterpiece” London Theatre1 ★★★★★
★★★★★ “This show needs to become a permanent fixture in the west end” West End Wilma
“Hard-hitting and frankly fantastic.” Carns Theatre Passion ★★★★★
★★★★★ “Theatrical grunge at lethal levels of concentration.” Grumpy Gay Critic

Listings Information

The Hope Theatre 207 Upper Street London N1 1RL
21 MAR – 8 APR 2017 Tues – Sat 7.45pm Tickets £15 & £12
concs
Box Office: 0333 666 3366 www.thehopetheatre.com
Social Media Details Twitter: @TheHopeTheatre Facebook: /thehopetheatre
Twitter @Kicked_Play @5pound5
Facebook: /kickedintheshitter /5pound5

[vc_images_carousel images=”7470,7469,7468,7467″ autoplay=”yes” wrap=”yes” title=”Rehearsal Photos of Kicked In The Sh*tter”]