Universal Credit Thrown In The Spotlight In Cardboard Citizens London Tour, With City Hall Live Stream

Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company will tour Femi Keeling's new Forum Theatre play Rising to hostels, prisons, day centres, refuges, and youth centres across London throughout November, as part of its outreach programme working with people most at risk of, or affected by, homelessness.

The topical storyline of Rising explores many of the challenges facing people released from prison, including applying for Universal Credit, the difficult choices they may have to think about making as a result, and the shocking ease with which someone may face homelessness. The play's lead character Terrence has just been released after a short prison sentence and wants to change his life. With support, Terrence has the opportunity to take control and turn things around, but demons from his past, bad company, and a string of poor decisions instead push Terrence to the edge.

The Forum Theatre element empowers the audience to change the outcome, meaning that every show is a unique experience. After watching the play, they will have the chance to voice their opinion and offer ideas that might change the course of the characters' lives, and to watch as the story is rewritten in front of their eyes.

The public can see Rising in a livestream from London City Hall, where the play will be performed as part of an evening launching the Mayor of London's Winter Homeless Fundraising Campaign. The live stream will take place on 27 November, on the Mayor of London's website: www.london.gov.uk. For further details, including timings, visit: www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk.

The cast, which includes Cardboard Citizens' Member actors with experience of homelessness, is comprised of Shona Babayemi, Carrie Rock, Greg Shewring and Andre Skeete. The production is directed by Stuart Mullins, Associate Director of Cardboard Citizens.

Founded by Artistic Director and CEO Adrian Jackson MBE, Cardboard Citizens is an award-winning theatre company and one of the world's leading practitioners of Forum Theatre. They have toured across hostels, day centres and prisons for more than 26 years, bringing theatre to the most marginalised in society. Through bold and immersive theatre, Cardboard Citizens break down conventional divisions between audiences and performers. Visit: www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk.

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