HighRise Entertainment has announced Lil.Miss.Lady at Lowry, Salford running from Fri 13th – Sat 14th Nune as part of a UK tour and the company’s 10th anniversary celebrations, with tickets on sale now.
The announcement comes fresh off the back of a sold-out World Premiere run at The Pit, Barbican, with a stop at Gloucester Guildhall in between, as the immersive exploration of the history of Grime, starring MC Lady Lykez, lifts the lid on what it takes for a female MC to navigate her way through a heavily male-dominated industry in the early 2000s.
The show is supported by SICK! Festival and as part of the opening night on Friday 13th June, there will be a massive afterparty for audience members with a line-up featuring some of Manchester’s finest female MCs headlined by rap powerhouse Lady Ice, and rising star Meduulla (who is also hosting proceedings), and DJ’d by producer Ethan Hill, with support slots to be filled with emerging local talent following HighRise’s work in the community.
Part-y rave, part-y drama, this multi-layered show is a proper gig with a hard-hitting, no holds barred narrative. Telling the story of a Grime crew hellbent on becoming superstars, Lil.Miss.Lady follows their journey through the sounds and visuals of Black-British bass music culture, as they climb from Channel U to number 1 in the charts, and Lil.Miss.Lady hits number 32 in the NME’s coolest acts of 2004
The production wholeheartedly celebrates Grime and its women while shining a big, bold, bass-fuelled light on the problems and inequalities of the music industry. As Lil.Miss.Lady bursts onto the scene, she’s faced with different expectations to the boys, and it becomes pretty obvious, pretty fast, that she’s being exploited. The show is inspired by a series of interviews with key female figures from one of Britain’s biggest and most influential sub-cultures (Lady Stush, Lioness, Queenie, Baby Blue), to ensure that the stories are authentic.
In Lil.Miss.Lady the audience are part of the script; instead of seats there’s a full-blown dancefloor with a bar and RAVERS can get stuck right in, dance, celebrate, and film the show to share with their friends on socials. A series of mini-mixes break up the story, blurring the lines between theatre and gig, as the storyline blasts through the years, from the early stages of Jungle, through UK Garage, Sub-Low, Funky House, Dubstep and Grime. Lil.Miss.Lady features original music from, Best Book / Lyrics winner at the Black British Theatre Awards 2024, Lady Lykez, and Dominic Garfield, mixed by live DJs including DJ Kaylee Kay (Kiss FM, 1Xtra).
Lil.Miss.Lady’s stellar cast includes Fahad Shaft who plays Blanka, Joshua Cameron who plays the role of Twist, and Alexander Lobo Moreno who lends his talents to the character of Hypez.
Award nominated international DJ, presenter and grimologist DJ Kaylee Kay spins the wheels as DJ Harmony, and up-and-coming MC Aliaano Elali brings all of his performance skills to the stage as DJ Rat.
Throughout the past ten years, HighRise Entertainment have been pioneers of creating cross-genre live events that blend theatre and rap music.
Pre-drama school, the HighRise creative team were Grime, Hip Hop and Rave artists and promoters, and have combined their experience and expertise to develop a truly honest and authentic concept that sets the pace on the level of innovation that is possible on-stage.
R&D performances of Lil.Miss.Lady sold out The Roundhouse and shut it down in front of a massive crowd at Latitude Festival. Written and directed by HighRise Entertainment’s Artistic Director Dominic Garfield, this genre-defying production blends playful, immersive, and thought-provoking theatre with Rap and Grime to inspire young audiences and connect with their souls by holding up stories that reflect their lives, while also also serving the older generations who were around at the time of the development of the scene.
Dominic has delivered an impressive list of hit shows that deserve all the clout; he created the Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award-winning The UK Drill Project (The Pit, Barbican), The Concrete Jungle Book (ArtsDepot / The Pleasance) and Merryville (Camden People’s Theatre) as well as working on collaborations with The National Theatre, Royal Exchange Manchester and the V&A.
Writer and director of Lil.Miss.Lady Dominic Garfield said:
“As cuts in funding for the arts limit creative potential, HighRise’s ambition continues to disrupt, drive and grow. The UK nightlife scene is shrinking due to forced closures of clubs and venues, and the need for HighRise’s work is becoming more and more essential.
“To merge theatre and a Grime rave, at this moment, is a big middle finger from all of us who are told we can’t. To centre the voices of women in the scene helps us celebrate whilst forensically examining what it means to fight for the art and culture we all deserve.
“This show is nostalgic, authentic and a tingle of the senses; with the hottest soundtrack, elite performances and a shared mission of joy. I can’t wait to share it with the world!”
HighRise Entertainment (The UK Drill Project) announces Lil.Miss.Lady at Lowry, Salford running from Fri 13th – Sat 14th June as part of a UK tour and the company’s 10th anniversary celebrations, with tickets on sale now.
