Empty Room at Camden People's Theatre

What is also undeniable, and subverts the one-woman show stereotype, is how funny she is - **** The Upcoming

Goulds acting craft, notably the deft way in which she transitions and transforms from one of her three endearing characters to another, is miraculous - London Jazz News

Addiction, love and loss explored in first solo show by Little Bulb Associate Artist Miriam Gould

Theatre maker and musician Miriam Gould (Little Bulb Associate Artist) tours her first solo work, Empty Room, to London, Exeter and Margate.

Semi-autobiographical, Empty Room uses live song, intertwined monologues and a string quartet to explore how music can free us; revealing hidden depths to survive in times when we need it most.

Alongside the show Miriam is building a Survival Playlist which is formed by audience and public submissions of songs which help them get through difficult times.

Empty Room is about a family held together by music. Onstage a jazz singer talks about her daughter and sings about her lover. Backstage a sax player rants about art and addiction, and coping with fatherhood in between. And in a classroom, an idealistic teenager (over)shares her passion for Dmitri Shostakovich and the importance of music in times of trouble.

In different places and times, they speak about truth, art, love and trauma.

Created by Miriam Gould with Dramaturgy by Alex Scott (Little Bulb Theatre) Empty Room was developed over a number of years from biographical material and original music from Miriam’s jazz musician parents, saxophonist Sal Nistico and singer Rachel Gould. Sal Nistico (Count Basie, Dizzie Gillespie, Buddy Rich) was known for his speed and articulation as a soloist and was lead tenor in the Woody Herman Big Band in the early 1960’s after which he became more of a bebop/hardbop player. Rachel Gould (Michel Graillier, Benny Bailey) still tours the world and is the last singer alive to have recorded with Chet Baker.

After the show audiences are welcome to add their own song to the Survival Playlist, an online playlist compiled from post-show and worldwide online submissions of music that has helped people through difficult times.

For full dates and information about the tour please visit the tour website: http://bit.ly/2CRZ232

Empty Room was developed at Battersea Arts Centre and is supported using national lottery funding by Arts Council England.