HAYFEVER Comes to the Arcola Theatre in May

HAYFEVER is an interactive, dark, psychological comedy that explores how living by different cultural rules impacts feelings and creates a sense of alienation if you're not born here? Are love and care enough to overcome traumas from the past? Seven performances will be staged at the Arcola Theatre, Dalston, from the 8th May, 2023.

​Tomato Soup. A Jenga game. A passionate love story born in a bohemian style bedroom, in a London tower block.

How could it all go wrong? Apparently because of an accidental murder in a supermarket. Or was it on a train platform? When two cops, Tom and Jerry, break into James and Monya's flat one morning, their lives change forever. But will the truth be revealed?

​In this stunning production, the AUDIENCE MEMBERS will decide the characters' destiny, they can also zoom into any character's inner feelings requiring a monologue, a song, a "Feelicalise" at any time of the show. Maybe even give them a heart attack!

Every piece of set and costume will auctioned during the whole run of the show. At the end of the run, audience members will be able to take ownership of what they bought. In this way, Emerge Production House aims for its production to be at O% wastage. As the lead character is a painter, lots of paintings will be exhibited as part of the set so that audience members will also be able to offer bids.

Eleanor. After studying her philosophy degree at Paris Nanterre, Eleonor moved to London to become a playwright. Her debut play 'Hayfever' was first showcased in 2019 at the playground part of RebelFest, it then got selected to be performed at Theatre Peckham Fringe out of 300 plays in 2022. Her mini-series 'The Mcheuns' which she co-wrote and her first one woman show 'Boundless' are currently in development.

Roxane is one of the founding members of Emerge Production House. An acclaimed Producer, Roxane is driven by discovering ways to champion emerging artists across multiple forms. She recently adapted a modernised/bi-lingual version of Romeo and Juliette directed by RSC director Aileen Gonsalves which is now touring in the UK/Switzerland/France. Last year, Roxanne was appointed freelance producer at the Bush Theatre where she's just curated their 50th anniversary and 5 of their Retrospective shows. She recently directed her debut short film called "My life's dream". In 2019, she directed Hayfever, which was showcased at the Playground Theatre. Last year the play opened at the Peckham Theatre and has now transferred to the Arcola Theatre and SpaceUK theatre! Hayfever marks Roxanne's debut theatre directing credit.

Arcola Theatre was founded by Mehmet Ergen and Leyla Nazli in September 2000. Originally located in a former textile factory on Arcola Street in Dalston, in January 2011 the theatre moved to its current location in a former paint-manufacturing workshop on Ashwin Street. In 2021, we opened an additional outdoor performance space just around the corner from the main building: Arcola Outside.

Arcola Theatre produces daring, high-quality theatre in the heart of East London and beyond. We commission and premiere exciting, original works alongside rare gems of world drama and bold new productions of classics. Our socially engaged, international programme champions diversity, challenges the status quo, and attracts over 65,000 people to our building each year. Ticket prices are some of the most affordable in London.

Every year, we offer 26 weeks of free rehearsal space to culturally diverse and refugee artists; our Grimeborn Festival opens up opera with contemporary stagings at affordable prices; and our Participation department creates over 13,500 creative opportunities for the people of Hackney and beyond. Our pioneering environmental initiatives are award-winning and aim to make Arcola the world's first carbon-neutral theatre.

Arcola has won awards including the UK Theatre Award for Promotion of Diversity, The Stage Award for Sustainability and the Peter Brook Empty Space Award.

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