Fences and dirt: The Bone Sparrow

Presented by Pilot Theatre in co-production with York Theatre Royal, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Mercury Theatre Colchester and Derby Theatre, this world stage premiere of Zana Fraillon’s acclaimed book captures a painfully pertinent story of refugee experience. Continue reading

Crongton Knights: bold young hope

Known for their bold work celebrating diversity and examining contemporary issues, Pilot Theatre presents the world stage premiere of Alex Wheatle’s Crongton Knights, Winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2016. Continue reading

Same Same Different: a sense of belonging for the trans-racial adoptee

Writer Naomi Sumner Chan’s new verbatim play Same Same Different diverts from the widely-told adoption fairy tale that follows parents through the process of trying to adopt, where adoption as the happy endgame. Here she examines what happens after the happy ending, the “tainted golden ticket”; how adoptive families sculpt themselves and their unit, and what residual questions remain for – particularly trans-racial – adoptees. Continue reading

Brighton Rock: A Lexis for Damaged Hope

It is usually easy to impose your own zeitgeist onto a piece of live theatre, because there is so much ambiguity – so many variables for each viewer to interpret however they wish. It is a struggle to forage the attraction of adapting Graham Greene’s noir thriller, which now seems largely irrelevant, but Bryony Lavery is enough of a draw to intrigue those who have or haven’t read the original novel. Continue reading