Shrapnel Theatre's SILK ROAD (HOW TO BUY DRUGS ONLINE) Opens At Trafalgar Studios

Shrapnel Theatre today announces the return of Alex Oates' Silk Road (How to Buy Drugs Online), the first production to be funded through the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Dominic Shaw directs Josh Barrow (Bruce Blakemore) at Trafalgar Studios, Tuesday 7 August to Saturday 1 September.

Meet Bruce Blakemore, a struggling young Geordie tech-head and the unlikeliest international criminal mastermind you can imagine. From his base in Whitley Bay, Bruce and his Nan will find themselves sucked into an Underworld Wide Web of new-age pirates, local gangsters and tea-cosies.

Inspired by interviews with real online drug vendors, Alex Oates' piece is about the freedoms and danger of an unrestricted Dark Web and its impact on a teenager finding his way in the world.

Following a call-out on the real Silk Road forums for contributions to the original production's crowd funding campaign, an anonymous donor donated two Bitcoin. Playwright Alex Oates reinvested the Bitcoin and through this funded runs at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, VAULT Festival and Live Theatre, Newcastle.

Alex Oates said today, "Back in 2014 Bitcoin was a bit of a novelty so I couldn't be more thrilled that Silk Road (How to Buy Drugs Online), which was initially made possible through an anonymous donation of Bitcoin, is back with a run at Trafalgar Studios this summer. It seems clear that Bitcoin is here to stay and it was a great honour to be the first play funded by cryptocurrency - it undoubtedly won't be the last."

Alex Oates has been shortlisted for The Old Vic 12 and Papatango Prize, and long listed for the Bruntwood Prize. His other theatre credits include Rules for Being a Man (UK tour), Pig (Hull Truck Theatre/New Diorama Theatre), Hansel (Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Hull Truck Theatre), People Will See Me and Cry (Arcola Theatre), Time Warner Ignite (Old Vic Tunnels); and for television, Match Not Found and EastEnders: E20.

Josh Barrow returns to play Bruce Blakemore. He is a member of the National Youth Theatre with credits including Zigger Zagger (Wilton's Music Hall) and has worked on The Royal Court Theatre's Open Court Project 2016. He is also TriForce's Monologue Slam National Champion 2017.

Dominic Shaw directs. His other directing credits include Secret Garden (Barn Theatre), A Memory For Forgetting (Arcola Theatre), Get Got (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) and Thirteen Days (The Other Palace). As an Associate Director his credits include Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre), Beautiful - The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre/UK tour) and Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre/UK and international tour). As an actor his credits include Wicked (Apollo Victoria) and Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre).

Box Office: 0844 871 7632* / http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/trafalgar-studios/

*Calls cost up to 7p per minute, plus your phone company's access charge.

Silk Road was a website accessible through the dark web using browsers such as Tor, which hit a peak in 2013. The website was a marketplace where it was possible to buy illegal weapons, though it latterly became better-known for narcotics. Silk Road was shut down in 2014 following the arrest by the FBI of its alleged founder and administrator Ross Ulbricht, but was later re-launched and shut down again in subsequent months by other moderators.

Shrapnel Theatre was formed in 2015 with the goal of making compelling theatre in a commercially-sensitive way. Previous productions include H.R.Haitch (Union Theatre), Silk Road (VAULT Festival/Live Theatre), Underground (59E59 Theaters/VAULT Festival), The Litterati (VAULT Festival), Get Your Sh*t Together (Landor Theatre) and The Remnants: As Thyself and Threadbare (Above the Arts/Edinburgh Festival Fringe).

As well as producing Shrapnel Theatre's work, Paul Virides is also a freelance producer, and in 2017 produced the Union Theatre revival of Honk!. As associate producer for Hartshorn-Hook Productions he worked on the Olivier Award-winning Rotterdam (Theatre503/Trafalgar Studio/59E59 Theaters/Arts Theatre), American Idiot, The Blues Brothers: Xmas Special (Arts Theatre), Away From Home (Jermyn Street Theatre/UK and international tour) and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Above the Arts).

www.shrapneltheatre.com

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