20 Stories High Premieres Post-Lockdown Outdoors 'Doorstep Theatre' This Week

With the easing restrictions on outdoor performance, award-winning theatre company 20 Stories High takes to the streets of Toxteth and Liverpool 8 with a unique piece of interactive doorstep theatre, premiering on Wednesday 15 July (previews 14 July).

The show will be performed to a wide range of families and individuals particularly those who have been self-isolating and shielding in the past few months. The ten-minute interaction is a poignant, moving and funny reflection on what lockdown has been like for a young woman in Liverpool, which aims to leave audiences with a smile on their faces and a full heart.

Kelsey is looking all over L8 for her Mum's cat. It has been missing and she is desperate to find it. As she walks the streets putting up posters on lampposts, she eventually ends up knocking on doors and chatting to the local residents and asks their help in solving the mystery.

Director and Co-Writer Keith Saha says: 'These are such challenging times for people, and we want to celebrate the fact that we can now connect with theatre and live art. We want to give audiences an experience they will never forget, something that connects and reflects the times were living in, but one that also offers comfort and hope.

We also want to raise the awareness that there are companies who have been making excellent theatre with and for their local communities for decades now, and whilst the bigger buildings are re-evaluating how they can make work outside in community spaces, we urge DCMS and Arts Council England not to forget about the companies and freelance artists who have been doing this for a long time. It's great to be working with Brodie again. She joined our Youth Theatre in 2008 and this is her third professional job with us. She is a fantastic actor, writer and collaborator and has a real connection to the communities in Liverpool 8. This is a pilot so there may be a whole group of actors knocking on doors in the future around L8, Liverpool and beyond.'

Knocking On is a companion piece to She's Leaving Home, a living room tour co-produced with Improbable in 2017 as part of the 50th Anniversary of the recording of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The acclaimed production was also performed by Brodie Arthur.

Knocking On is performed to single households of up to five people. 20 Stories High have been vigilant with health and safety, working closely with the council to make sure that they are doing everything possible, including giving audience members its health and safety plan for reassurance. The company are grateful to Kuumba Imaani, a multi-purpose multi-cultural community centre in Liverpool 8, for its support in reaching audiences.

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