What brings you to the brink? Love? Life? Longing? Loss? Lunch? The Brinkers are there. On the edge. Will it be two steps forward or one step back? As they reach a crucial point in their lives will they choose to cross over? What will they find on the other side? What will they become? Are you prepared for the brink?

The Royal Exchange Theatre is to stage the world premiere of Brink,  a collaboration between award-winning writer Jackie Kay and the RET’s Young Company.

Performed by a twenty strong ensemble from the Royal Exchange Young Company this new play explores what the brink is and how we overcome it.

 

The play has been created through a collaboration between the Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company and Jackie Kay MBE, an award-winning writer of fiction, poetry and plays. She has won multiple awards including the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year, the Guardian Fiction Prize and Lambda Literary Award for Transgender.


The production is directed by the Royal Exchange Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director Matthew Xia and will be his first production for the Royal Exchange. He is an award-winning theatre director, composer, journalist, broadcaster and DJ. His productions include SCRAPPERS and SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD, for which he won the Young Vic’s Genesis Future Director Award. 

 

Talking about being involved in the production, he said I knew that my first show in Manchester would, for me, have to be a statement of intent and an exemplary beacon of what I believe theatre is truly for. So when asked if I wanted to direct the Young Company’s first show in 2015 I leapt at the chance.

 

I’m genuinely excited to be working with them and to be involved in an opportunity to make a professional show in which they have a major input and ownership of. I look forward to building a brilliant ensemble company to lead the audience right up to the brink… and beyond.”

 

The Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company is an exciting offer for young people aged 14 -21 to train as Communicators, Design Technicians, Performers and Writers. Working alongside theatre staff and professionals, the Young Company offers 100 young people 12 months of in depth training to broaden their understanding and develop skills in their particular discipline.

 

Alongside regular skills sessions, meetings and master-classes, the Young Company has the opportunity to work on a number of substantial projects and productions where members can put their training into practice. This also includes opportunities to develop and create their own work as part of our Open Space scheme which provides mentoring, support and rehearsal space for their own projects.

 

Matt Hassall, Young People’s Programme Leader and Associate Director for Brink said, “We are adamant that the show will be reflective of the young people we work with and to realise their stories and experiences in a creative and theatrical way.” The Young Writers have given Jackie ideas and material, the Communicators have been responsible for the marketing campaign of the show, the Design Technicians have developed the ideas for the set and the Performers have brought Brink to life on stage.


BRINK

By Jackie Kay in collaboration with the Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company

Directed by Matthew Xia

Associate Director Matt Hassall

Designed by Frankie Bradshaw

Lighting Designer Ciaràn Cunningham

Sound Designer Ben Almond

Composition Abigayle Bartley & Jason Patel

The Studio, The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

Thursday 26 March – Sunday 29 March 2015

Evening Performance Times: 

Thursday-Saturday, 7.30pm

Matinee Performance Times:

Saturday & Sunday, 2:30pm

Ticket Prices: Standard tickets £8 Concessions £6

Box Office0161 833 9833

On-linewww.royalexchange.co.uk/bookonline  www.royalexchange.co.uk/brink

 

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