Nottingham Playhouse Announces Creative Associates and THE GLAD GAME

This autumn, Nottingham Playhouse opens its doors for its first full season since the start of the pandemic. Launching with the world premiere of Phoebe Frances Brown's The Glad Game, the season is preceded by the announcement of a new team of locally based Creative Associates.

This autumn, female led Next Door Dance and actor/director Jacob Seelochan will take up their positions as creative associates at Nottingham Playhouse. Joining female comedy collective and existing creative associates Major Labia, Next Door Dance and Jacob Seelochan will develop a significant relationship with the theatre over the course of two years. During this time they will be offered a bespoke partnership in which they become ambassadors for the Playhouse's work, whilst receiving support to help them develop in their careers such as access to rehearsal space and the opportunity to create work.

Nottingham Playhouse's Creative Associate scheme champions and nurtures some of the most exciting talent from the Nottingham region and offers tangible guidance to the emerging artists who participate. Alumni of the scheme include actor, writer and theatre-maker Lewis Doherty and writer and performer Ben Norris.

Meanwhile, The Glad Game, which runs from 24 to 25 September, is written and performed by Phoebe Frances Brown, a member of the aforementioned creative associates Major Labia. From her childhood impressions of Dolly Parton to grown up roles at The National Theatre, The Donmar Warehouse and New York Theatre Workshop, acting has defined who and what she is.

In November 2018 Phoebe was diagnosed with an incurable tumour in the area of her brain that controls speech, language and memory.

The Glad Game is Phoebe's Story: of finding herself in the bleakest of times, of discovering gladness in the saddest of moments and about how who and what you love can pull you through.

Nottingham Playhouse Artistic Director Adam Penford says -

"Seeing an early work-in-progress sharing of The Glad Game in 2019, I was blown away by this powerful and moving story and knew it must seen on the Playhouse stage. Phoebe is a charismatic performer and the play is an honest, frank and funny account of living with a terminal illness. It deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible."

The Glad Game is Co-Produced by Nottingham Playhouse and Pippa Frith, Sound Design by Iain Armstrong, supported by Arts Council England, Television Workshop, The Bush and Leicester Curve. Our charity partners are Brain Tumour Research.

The live performances of The Glad Game will be accompanied by a on-demand digital edition of the play, filmed in association with TEA Films at Nottingham Playhouse in the summer and available to rent for a five day period from Friday 24 September to Sunday 31 October (https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/the-glad-game-on-demand/).

Major Labia are here to smash the patriarchy through vaginal comedy. More raucous than righteous, Major Labia is an all-female comedy collective founded by Artistic Director Siobhán Cannon-Brownlie (The Elves and the Shoemaker, Nottingham Playhouse). Performers include Gemma Caseley-Kirk (My Mad Fat Diary, Channel 4), Narisha Lawson (The New Worst Witch, CITV) and Phoebe Frances Brown (Small Island, National Theatre).

Major Labia are a Nottingham based collective who are graduates and associates of the BAFTA award-winning Television Workshop, and have been tickling audiences for over three years. They tackle the insidious notion that women aren't funny through live sketch shows, recorded work on their YouTube channel, and educational programmes. They have performed in many theatres across the country including Nottingham Playhouse's main stage, Battersea Arts Centre and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Major Labia have been supported by PILOT nights, Old Vic New Voices and are a Breakthrough Company at Curve theatre, Leicester.

Major Labia said -

"We are elated to be Amplify Creative Associates at their local theatre, and can't wait to create more seriously silly content for audiences in Nottingham and beyond."

Next Door Dance absolutely adore working with people in an array of community settings and their participatory projects are at the heart of what they do, stand for and believe in. They love delivering projects with lots of different people, creating lasting experiences that are packed with creativity and lots of laughter.

Next Door Dance have worked with arts venues, schools and community groups for the last 8 years. Their work includes collaborations with the Halle Orchestra, Leicester Tigers RFC and English Heritage.

Next Door Dance said -

"Creative Associates! We are absolutely thrilled to be working alongside such a prestigious venue. After a challenging year this partnership has come at a great time for us and we are excited to get back to being creative with the support of Nottingham Playhouse. We can't wait to continue our community outreach work and hope to inspire and engage with more Nottingham folk. Watch this space duck!"

Jacob Seelochan is an actor-writer who was born and raised in Sherwood, Nottingham. Since graduating from The Royal Central School in 2019, Jacob has worked on projects such as Shadow & Bone (Netflix), Don't Touch Me (Leicester Curve), and Nevergreen (Arcola Theatre). His debut short film, A Casting Room, explored the complexity of being mixed race in the acting industry, and he was a finalist at Pinewood Studios' Lift-Off Festival 2020.

Jacob Seelochan said -

"Nottingham Playhouse holds a special place in my heart. It was the theatre where my parents met. It was where I got my first job, as a Box Office Assistant. It was where I turned 18. It was where I was cast in my first professional show, Arcadia, back in 2014. It was where I really developed my love for performance. So to be asked to join the Playhouse team as a Creative Associate is a huge honour."

Box Office: 0115 941 9419 or https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk.

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