TYPT:15

Physical theatre combines with lyrical text and live music in Soapbox. The electrifying new show from Talawa's TYPT company tells an empowering story whose protagonists must escape from the boxes they’ve been encased in. Dynamic and daring, Soapbox is physical theatre at its inventive best.

TYPT throws out the rule book. In traditional theatre, a script is the starting point. Instead, TYPT begins with an idea. The script emerges out of rehearsals.

TYPT is a theatre laboratory. The usual elements of theatre are explored and tested with catalysts from another art form – sound installation artists, DJs, musicians and acrobats.

Raw ideas are examined from different viewpoints, scenes are improvised and a new piece of theatre is born. The results are exciting, provocative, fresh and free from tired stereotypes. Theatre as it should be.

Company - Established Practitioners

Director: Christopher Simpson

Christopher Simpson is an actor, educator and director with a wide-ranging creative practice. His work has encompassed mask making, radio documentary, song-writing and film making. Christopher studied at LAMDA and has just finished directing his first short film, ID. Acting credits include Karim in Brick Lane (Film4), Zadie Smith’s White Teeth (Channel4), Pericles (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Ramayana (National Theatre) and Forests (Birmingham Rep). We're really pleased to have someone of Chris's calibre working with us this year.

Movement Director: Coral Messam
Coral Messam is a movement director and actor. She studied dance and drama at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Her theatre credits include Everyman (National Theatre), Lightning Child (Shakespeare Globe), Feast (Young Vic), Faustus (Royal Exchange), Death and The Kings Horseman (National Theatre), To Be Straight With You (DV8 Physical Theatre). On TV and in Film Coral has performed in London Road as well as choreographing and performing in Game of Thrones.

Designer: Mila Sanders

Lighting Designer: Pablo Fernández Baz

Musician: Fran Lobo

Production Manager: Samantha Nurse

Stage Manager (on book): Julia Nimmo

Company - Emerging Practitioners

Performers and Devisers:

Alaba Nwanya
Faaiz Mbelizi
Jasmine Breinburg
Liah Tecle
Mustafa Ibrahim
Patrick Elue
Rosemary Akinola

Writer and Deviser: Aude Konan

Assistant Designer/ASM: Alice Simonato