Almeida Projects Presents CRAWLING IN THE DARK

ALMEIDA PROJECTS PRESENTS A NEW PLAY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

CRAWLING IN THE DARK
BY NATALIE MITCHELL, DIRECTED BY MICHAEL BUFFONG
5 - 8 APRIL 2011

The Almeida Theatre's creative learning programme, Almeida Projects, will present the world premiere of a new commission for young people by Natalie Mitchell. Crawling in the Dark, a frank coming of age story inspired by David Eldridge's The Knot of the Heart, will be performed at The Almeida Theatre from 5 - 8 April 2011, directed by Michael Buffong. Designs are by Signe Beckmann, with lighting by Jason Wescombe and sound by Howard Wood.

Amber and Nathan's party-going mum Liz has started staying out later; their concern for her safety deepens as they realise that she is concealing a dark secret. The responsibility of caring for their mother becomes unbearable, affecting their school work and friendships. Engulfed by fear, Amber and Nathan are torn between keeping the family together and facing up to the help they need.

Crawling in the Dark is the seventh play that The Almeida Theatre has commissioned for young people, supporting study across the curriculum, particularly within Citizenship, Drama and English. The production will give students a creative opportunity to engage with the issues of personal responsibility and explore the effect of drug abuse in both families and in the wider community.

Crawling in the Dark follows two young people at crucial points of change in their lives, academically and personally, and explores the issue of personal responsibility. The play has been developed with groups of local students from Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language College, Mount Carmel Technology College for Girls and the Young Friends of The Almeida Theatre, who worked closely with playwright Natalie Mitchell to explore key themes in The Knot of the Heart and identify the issues that most affected their lives as young Londoners growing up in 21st Century Islington.

A group of Young Friends of the Almeida, aged between 16 and 23, will also perform a curtain-raiser at the performance on the 5 April - a 20 minute devised piece also inspired by The Knot of the Heart. They will be touring this devised piece to local secondary schools, where they will play to year 7 audiences.

Natalie Mitchell's first play, Can't Stand Me Now, was presented as part of the Royal Court Young Writer's Festival. She has also had work presented at the Soho Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Broadway Theatre Barking and for Root Theatre/ ATC. She has been invited to participate on both the BBC Writer's Room/ BBC3 Next Generation television writing residency, and the BBC Radio Sparks scheme. In 2008 she was a member of the Soho Theatre's Core group of writer's, and in 2010 was a member of the Royal Court's prestigious Supergroup. Natalie's radio credits include the short play, Shower, and Proud, which was broadcast on The Wire on Radio 3 in March 2011.

Director Michael Buffong's latest production, Private Lives is currently playing at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, where his previous productions include A Raisin in the Sun, All the Ordinary Angels and Six Degrees of Separation. His other theatre credits include To Kill A Mockingbird for West Yorkshire Playhouse and on tour, Little Sweet Thing for Hampstead Theatre and on tour and Raising the Roof in the West End. Buffong is currently on attachment to The National Theatre Studio. His television directing credits include EastEnders, Holby City, Casualty, Doctors, Comedy Shuffle all for the BBC and Hollyoaks for Channel 4.

Designer Signe Beckmann's credits include The Knowledge and Little Platoons for the Bush Theatre, Tales on the Harrow Road for Soho Theatre, The Blue Room for Bridewell Theatre, Dr Faustus for Watford Palace Theatre, Ghosts for the Young Vic, Plasticine for Southwark Playhouse, Sexual Perversity in Chicago and Blackbird for Norwich Playhouse and The Mill on the Floss and Some Voices for Linbury Studio/LAMDA.

Almeida Projects

Almeida Projects is the Almeida's creative learning programme for young people - a programme of theatre-based activities and learning opportunities, inspired by the main theatre programme, for those primarily aged between 14 and 21. Almeida Projects' work includes: residency and bespoke projects with Islington partner schools; annual productions of new plays commissioned for young people; a subsidised ticket scheme for UK based schools and colleges; the Young Friend of the Almeida scheme; and the Trainee Workshop Leader programme.

The Almeida Theatre is delighted to be working with staff volunteers from Pinsent Masons to create the Resource Pack to accompany the production.

Almeida Projects is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council of England.

Performance Information

Tuesday 5 April and Wednesday 6 April - 2pm
Thursday 7 April and Friday 8 April - 10.30am and 2pm

Almeida Theatre

Website www.almeida.co.uk

Address Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, Islington, London, N1 1TA

Booking Crawling in the Dark
020 7288 4916 or cpayne@almeida,co.uk
Tickets £5 each
School tickets £5 / £3 (for schools in Islington, Camden, Hackney, Haringey and Tower Hamlets); free teacher place per 10 tickets booked.

To post a comment, you must register and login.