East meets West across the education divide when four London teenagers compete for a prestigious scholarship. As they venture across the capital into unfamiliar territories, friendships are tested, aspirations are challenged and each is forced to decide what matters most. Will the best candidate win or will their postcodes keep them in their place?
This vibrant, timely and touching new work, by award-winning playwright Ade Solanke, takes the pulse on coming-of-age in an increasingly divided city.
Ade Solanke‘s previous play, Pandora’s Box, premiered at Arcola in 2012 and returned as part of a national tour in 2014. It was nominated for Best New Play in the OffWestEnd Theatre Awards and for the 2014 Nigeria Prize for Literature.
Devising Workshops
29-31 July, 3-7pm
Join our exciting, FREE and inclusive workshops. You’ll create your own work and learn new games and techniques, exploring the themes of the play using drama, writing, music and movement.
We’ll look at topics such as:
- Friendship/Loneliness when at school
- Societal pressures / personal ambitions
- Similarities / differences within class, race, postcodes
We’ll devise short performances to be shared with an audience of family and friends in the theatre space on the last day. To book, please email caleypowellcasting@yahoo.co.uk.
Facilitator: Maa Yarkor-Addo
Post-show Q&As
Thursday 30 July – with the cast and creative team
Friday 31 July – on playwriting, with writer Ade Solanke
Praise for Pandora’s Box:
★★★★★
‘Honest, simple and enthralling…absolutely brilliant’
– The Public Reviews
★★★★
‘Solanke’s writing is nothing short of magnificent, skilfully expounding the different perspective of the Diaspora with sensitivity and humour’
– Afridiziak Theatre News
‘Pandora’s Box buzzes with life and the tensions of real people’
– The Guardian
‘Ade Solanke’s new play is firecracker theatre, as touching as it is hilarious’
– The Stage
‘Solanke’s script stealthily and dutifully discusses current and historical issues and perspectives in a forum and with an honesty which, quite frankly, is unrivalled in any of the debating halls, parliamentary chambers, conferences, seminars and workshops I have attended thus far in my life.’
–
Afropean Arts
Supported by Arts Council England, the Royal Victoria Hall Foundation and Rich Mix.
East End Boys, West End Girls was developed with support from The Peggy Ramsay Foundation.
£17 / £12 concessions
£6 for Under 16s
Saturday matinee at 3:30pm
£17 / £12 concessions
£6 for Under 16s
28 July – Pay What You Can Tuesday (tickets in person from 6pm – limited and subject to availability)
Tickets are £10 or less with Arcola Passport
Approximate running time: 65 minutes (no interval).
In Studio 2, seating is unallocated.
