BUILD A ROCKET Embarks on UK Tour

Following international acclaim and an award-winning run at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, this powerful and uplifting one-woman show about a young mother from Scarborough returns to embark on an extensive UK tour.

Winner of the Holden Street Theatres' Edinburgh Fringe Award 2018, Adelaide Fringe Best Theatre Weekly Award 2019 and named The Sunday Mail's Best Female Solo Show (Adelaide), Build a Rocket will see critically-acclaimed Serena Manteghi reprise her role as Yasmin. Hard-hitting yet inspiring, this funny and heart-warming production, written by Scarborough-born Christopher York, challenges our perceptions about young motherhood.

Yasmin is a bright 16-year-old from a small seaside town. In an instant, her world is turned upside down when she becomes pregnant with her son, Jack. Suddenly her life isn't sandcastles, arcades, and donkey rides. Abandoned by both the father of her child and her alcoholic mother, Yasmin faces one of life's great challenges completely alone - but can the thing which threatens to ruin her life actually be the thing which saves her?

Writer Christopher York comments, Teenage pregnancy is so demonised and we're quick to blame teenagers. There was a girl I was at school with who had a child at 15. I was astounded at her resilience and that she went on to pass her GCSEs, go to college and university, get married and raise a wonderful human being. She is a phenomenal person. We are still conservative about these topics. If we were more open and Scandinavian about how we tackled sex and sexual health, especially with young people, we may not have the statistics we do.

Director Paul Robinson said, I'm delighted that Build a Rocket will be going on a national tour in co-production with Tara Finney Productions. It's a key strategic priority for the SJT to be touring bold, resonant and relevant contemporary work as well as to further champion local emerging artist Christopher York on a national platform. The tour will allow us to reach a broader spectrum of audiences geographically as well as engage directly with local schools which is a wonderful prospect.

In addition to touring to theatres and arts centres across the UK, Build a Rocket will be performed at six schools in North Yorkshire generously supported by the Noel Coward Foundation.

13th - 14th September
Stephen Joseph Theatre
Westborough, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 1JW
https://www.sjt.uk.com/

16th - 17th September
Oxford Playhouse
Beaumont St, Oxford, OX1 2LW
https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/

18th September
Square Chapel Arts Centre
Square Rd, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 1QC
https://www.squarechapel.co.uk/

19th September
Interplay Theatre
Armley Ridge Rd, Leeds, LS12 3LE
https://www.interplaytheatre.co.uk/

21st September
York Theatre Royal
St Leonard's Pl, York, YO1 7HD
https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/

24th September
EM Forster Theatre
High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 IJP
https://www.emftheatre.com/

25th September
Oldham Library
Greaves St, Oldham, OL1 1AL
https://www.oldham.gov.uk/libraries

26th September
Pocklington Arts Centre
Market Pl, Pocklington, York YO42 2AR
https://www.pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk/

28th September
Selby Town Hall
York St, Selby, North Yorkshire, YO8 4AJ
http://www.selbytownhall.co.uk/

30th September

Queen's Hall Arts Centre
Beaumont St, Hexham, NE46 3LZ
https://www.queenshall.co.uk/content/queens-hall-arts-centre

2nd - 5th October
Live Theatre
Broad Chare, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DQ
https://www.live.org.uk/

7th - 9th October
Theatr Clwyd
Raikes Ln, Mold, CH7 1YA
https://www.theatrclwyd.com/en/

10th - 12th October

Streatham Space
Sternhold Ave, Streatham, London, SW2 4PA
https://www.streathamspaceproject.co.uk/

15th October
The Quarry Theatre
St Peter's St, Bedford, MK40 2NN
http://www.quarrytheatre.org.uk/

16th - 17th October
Traverse Theatre
Cambridge St, Edinburgh, EH1 2ED
https://www.traverse.co.uk/

18th - 19th October
Theatre Deli
Eyre St, Sheffield, S1 4QZ
https://www.theatredeli.co.uk/

24th October
Folkestone Quarterhouse
Tontine St, Folkestone CT20 1JT
https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/folkestone-quarterhouse/

26th October
Hunmanby Arts Centre
Stonegate, Hunmanby, YO14 0NS
https://sites.google.com/site/hunmanbycommunitycentre/

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