Creatives Announced For MOHAND & PETER at Southwark Playhouse

The creatives have been announced for the devised show Mohand & Peter from PSYCHEdelight, one of the world's leading creators of theatre made by refugees. The show takes reference from Mohand's own life as a Sudanese man who had to flee his country to seek asylum within the UK. Using clowning and visual poetry to explore cultural identity and the traumatic effect of long-term exile as well as celebrating refugee home countries.

The Mohand & Peter creative team includes producer Rob Landi (Coming Clean, Trafalgar Studios; Bullet Hole, Park Theatre; Old Fools, Southwark Playhouse), project manager Chiara Virgilio (Art from the Heart, Southwark Playhouse; Shop Window, Doomsday Dance Band) and set designer Ioana Curelea (Metamorphosis, New Diorama/Home MCR; The Others, Camden's People Theatre; Mating in Captivity, King's Head). The sound design is from Remy Bertrand (Love Explosion, Camden People's Theatre; 100 After Brexit, New River Warehouses; The Speaker, BBC 2), lighting design is by Andrew Brock (Cabareilidh, Glimmer Theatre/Farnham Maltings; Shop Front Stories, Glimmer Theatre and The River Run, Streatham Space project/UK Tour) and José Farinha is the photographer (Kioskzine, photography zine; Documentation of the Calais Jungle; Borderline, PSYCHEdelight).

Starring Mohand Hasb Alrosol Abdalrahem (Borderline, PSYCHEdelight; Welcome to the UK, The Bunker; The Strangers' Case film for Refugee Week 2018, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre) and Peter Pearson (Borderline, PSYCHEdelight; Welcome to the UK, The Bunker; Gin Craze!,The Royal and Derngate), Mohand & Peter platforms the collaborative chemistry between the actors. It illuminates how the pair have found a common language across cultures amidst the ongoing refugee crisis. With an emphasis on artistic development, PSYCHEdelight was awarded the status theatre of sanctuary to recognise how the team has gone above and beyond with their work. The company celebrates diversity and promote social inclusion through its creative output, facilitating arts-focused workshops and professional productions.

PSYCHEdelight continues to provide ongoing professional development opportunities and generate new work. Having previously been involved with Borderline Wasig Zaid will operate the subtitles and the translation will be from Baraa Halabieh. Live musicians Mohammed Sarrar (The Jungle, The Young Vic/Sonia Friedman Productions) and Ibrahim Fanous (Member of Africairo and Nile Project) complete the team to bring live music to the foyer of the Southwark Playhouse at select performances.

Artistic Director of PSYCHEdelight Sophie Bertrand Besse (With PSYCHEdelight Borderline, UK and international tour; Welcome to the UK, The Bunker and The Empty Frame, Theatre 503) will direct the show. To ensure there was a supportive creative environment to platform Mohand's personal experience of long-term exile from Sudan, Sophie assembled a creative team that share the values of the company. Mohand & Peter is a testament to Mohand's journey and those involved in this project were chosen to make sure that he felt supported.

Sophie Bertrand Besse, Artistic Director of PSYCHEdelight and Director of Mohand & Peter comments, The aim of my company is to challenge the negative narrative associated with refugees, rehumanizing people and places. I've had the privilege to have Mohand living with my family for the past three years. I witnessed the impact on him of the horrors happening in Sudan. For Mohand & Peter I chose to surround myself with a creative team who strongly share our values, people from diverse countries but all close to Mohand. Mohand - seeing you in pain day after day really made me feel completely powerless. This is a very personal journey you're going on to and I wanted to make sure you felt safe, understood and loved. Seeing your eyes lightening up and hearing your voice raising louder as days go by recreating Sudan on stage is one of the precious moments of my life. Theatre brings magic. Thank you for your trust in me directing this show.

PSYCHEdelight aims for the work produced to be as accessible to audiences as possible. Mohand & Peter is a bicultural show which will include both Arabic and English language the company has now been awarded funding to subtitle selected performances in both languages for Arabic speakers as well in English for Deaf and hearing-impaired audience members. As well as this PSYCHEdelight has committed to providing a selection of free tickets for refugees and asylum seekers for every performance.

Performances run Wednesday 9th March - Saturday 2nd April 2022.

Standard tickets are £22 with previews at £14 and concession rates at £18. Purchase is available from the box office on 020 7407 0234 or by booking online at https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-little/mohand-peter/

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