By Lola Clark, Jared Blue Gale, Lily Habibyan, Zed Levy, Zoë Milne, Yaseen Mohamed, Daniel Santangelo and Maia Settecasi.
directed by Debbie Hannan
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Saturday 18 July – Saturday 25 July
The Royal Court Theatre will tour a series of short plays written by children between the ages of eight and eleven to 15 schools in London boroughs before being performed in the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, from 18 to 25 July.
The Primetime plays were written by primary school children aged eight to 11 from Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster.
The Primetime plays will tour to Alperton, Ealing, Walthamstow, Dagenham, Wembley, Beckton, Harlesden, Ilford, Crayford and Pinner.
They were developed in Autumn 2014 during a six-week playwriting workshop at the Royal Court led by playwrights Vivienne Franzman (Mogadishu, Pests, The Witness) and Nessah Muthy (Gastronauts, Beastie).
Primetime is designed by Ruta Irbite with sound by George Dennis.
The craziest plays written by the littlest writers are taking over the Royal Court this summer.
Get ready for intergalactic rap battles, time traveling Ninjas and shapeshifting cats in an explosion of adventure and fun for the whole family.
Primetime is directed by past trainee director for the Royal Court Debbie Hannan.
The Royal Court has also commissioned free family workshops to take place alongside the production with the aim of introducing young people to playwriting.
This is the third time the Royal Court has taken a production to schools. In 2013 with Suhayla El-Bushra’s play Pigeons and the last Primetime to 15 Primary Schools in 2014.
Primetime is supported by John Lyon’s Charity, The Mercers’ Company, The Haberdashers’ Company, Ernest Cook Trust, John Thaw Foundation, Royal Victoria Hall Foundation and The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust.
The Primetime plays to be performed will be:
Chicken Wings in Space by Yaseen Mohamed (aged 11)
The Human Monster by Lola Clark (aged 9)
The Lady Bird by Daniel Santangelo (aged 10)
The Ice Cream That Never Melts by Zoë Milne (aged 9)
Lost by Zed Levy (aged 9)
Grampa Ninja and the Lost World by Jared Blue Gale (aged 10)
I Want Money!!!! By Maia Settecasi (aged 10)
The Adventures of Ms Vennily by Lily Habibyan (aged 9)
Family writing workshops are free but bookable in advance, available online www.royalcourttheatre.com or 0207 565 5000
Debbie Hannan was a previous trainee director at the Royal Court. For the Royal Court her directing credits include Who Cares (as Co-Director) and Peckham The Soap Opera. As Assistant Director for the Royal Court her credits include How To Hold Your Breath, Teh Internet is Serious Business, The Nether, Primetime 2014, Birdland and The Mistress Contract. Other directing credits include Notes from the Underground (Citizens Theatre), Panorama, Roses Are Dead, You Cannot Call it Love (The Arches), Yellow Pears (Swept Up) and Grimm Tales, Nights at the Circus (Theatre Paradok).
Listings Information:
Primetime
By Lola Clark, Jared Blue Gale, Lily Habibyan, Zed Levy, Zoë Milne, Yaseen Mohamed, Daniel Santangelo and Maia Settecasi.
directed by Debbie Hannan
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Sat 18 – Sat 25 Jul
Wednesday to Saturday 3pm
Friday & Saturday 6pm
Tickets £10 Adult, £5 Children, £10 Child ticket and meal deal
Age guidance 7+
Family writing workshops are free but bookable in advance, available online www.royalcourttheatre.com or 0207 565 5000