THE STATE WE'RE IN Begins Tonight at Theatre503

Policing, the NHS, welfare, immigration; the major national issues of the day are torn apart on stage in bold new work, THE STATE WE'RE IN, from four emerging playwrights - Afsaneh Gray, Christopher Hogg, Sherhan Lingham and Jenny Stark. The production plays Theatre503, The Latchmere (503 Battersea Park Road, London SW11 3BW) running tonight 12th - Saturday 16th April 2016, 7.45pm.

Immersed within Battersea and working with local police, NHS and community centres, these writers have been exposed to life on a community's frontline. By revealing the untold stories of the borough, The State We're In questions what it means to care in 2016. In an age of political and financial uncertainty, the writers ask, what might the future bring for local communities?

Steve Harper, Literary Manager at Theatre503, comments, This production is the amalgamation of Theatre503's work developing new writing talent, and our mission to explore the stories of local community services. As a society we depend on front-line services - but many of us understand very little about how they operate. Therefore, we embedded our four writers in four different local organisations and commissioned them each to write a short play based on their experiences. The State We're In tells those stories - and we hope it will get to the heart of what 'community' means.

Theatre503 continues to be a powerhouse of new writing. It has previously launched the careers of playwrights Dennis Kelly (Matilda The Musical, Utopia), Katori Hall (The Mountaintop), Chris Urch (Land of Our Fathers) and Anna Ziegler (Photograph 51).

IF YOU GO:

THE STATE WE'RE IN

Tuesday 12th - Saturday 16th April 2016, 7.45pm tbc

Ages 12+

At Theatre503, The Latchmere, 503 Battersea Park Road, London SW11 3BW

Theatre503 is located on above the Latchemere Pub on the corner of Latchmere Road and Battersea Park Road. The nearest underground stations are Sloane Square (on the Bakerloo and Northern lines then bus 319), South Kensington (on the Bakerloo, Northern, Circle and District lines) then bus 49 or 345, and Vauxhall (on the Northern and Piccadilly lines) then bus 34. The nearest rail station is Clapham Junction.

Tickets are available priced £12 (£10 concessions). Available from Theatre503 Box Office at 020 7978 7040 and theatre503.com.

Afsaneh Gray (BATR, Zone C) - Afsaneh Gray is a playwright and librettist. She has been a member of the Orange Tree Writers Collective, the Royal Court Studio Group, the Soho Young Writer's Group and, with the Paper Tiger collective, Associate Artist at Ovalhouse. Previous work has been seen at venues including the Soho Theatre, the Bush Theatre, the V&A, the Riverside Studios and the Orange Tree. She is currently under commission by the Unicorn Theatre.

Christopher Hogg (Cassie and Corey) - Christopher Hogg is an associate lecturer at the 'Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship' at Goldsmiths where in 2014 he received a distinction in MA 'Writing and Performance'. In 2015 his work was selected by the Arcola Theatre to be read, as part of their 'Playwrought' new writing festival. The State We're In is his first production at Theatre503. He lives in West Norwood with a lovely wife and son.

Jenny Stark (Stroke) - Jenny Stark grew up in Italy and Essex. She graduated in English from the University of Cambridge. She has had two Rapid Write Response plays performed at Theatre 503, Nine Sugars and The Red Balloon. Outside playwriting she has worked as a copywriter and filmed for broadcasters in Japanese TV. She currently lives in London.

Sherhan Lingham (Locks) - Sherhan Lingham is a writer from London. His past work includes short plays Faculty (Camden People's Theatre), Our House and Sticks 'n' Stones (Theatre 503 as part of Rapid Response Night) and We can't all be astronauts (Little Pieces of Gold).

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