The Head Wrap Diaries 20 - 23 March. Photo: Foteini Christofilopoulou
January – June 2018
what’s on spoken word . theatre . music . dance cabaret . circus . families . club nights
Image: So Many Reasons.Heather Agyepong and Natalie Mitchell
Wednesday 7 February, 7.30pm
Tuesday 13 February, 2pm
FUEL PRESENTS
LUCA SILVESTRINI’S PROTEIN PRESENTS
So Many Reasons is a story about the unique influence our mothers have on how we understand the world, from the perspective of a first generation British Ghanaian woman. Exploring cultural and generational shifts in how women see themselves and each other, this sassy and soulful new show asks what happens when we realise mums don’t always know best.
Join award-winning Protein for a highly entertaining meal with friends and family. You are invited to bring a dish and sit at decorated tables to watch, savour and digest a performance of dance, theatre and song that unfolds around you.
So Many Reasons May Contain Food, Written & performed by Racheal Ofori May Contain You Directed by Zoe Lafferty
‘Ofori’s excellent writing fuses poetry and prose to allow each character to vividly leap off the page.’ The Stage (on Portrait) £12 / £10 concs. Co-presented with Camden People’s Theatre and supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation. Funded by Arts Council England and the Leche Trust.
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Food will certainly be on the menu as the performance involves amuse-bouches and baking a scrumptious sticky ginger pudding for everyone to share! A sumptuous show which promises to make you smile and enjoy the curious relationship we have with food. £10 / £8 concs.
Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 February, 7.30pm Saturday 17 February, 3pm FINGERSMITHS IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH THE NEW WOLSEY THEATRE PRESENTS
John Godber’s
Up ’n’ Under John Godber’s award winning comedy, Up ’n’ Under, is given fingersmiths’ spin with a cast of Deaf and hearing actors using British Sign Language and spoken English to delight all audiences.
Can Arthur, our hero, coach them to beat the mighty Cobblers Arms in the cup final? With just five weeks to go he must convince them they can win, but first he has to work out how to communicate with them...
The Wheatsheaf Arms amateur rugby league team have never won a game. They don’t have £14 / £10 concs. enough players, they don’t have a kit and they This event takes place at Canada Water Theatre. spend more time in the pub than on the pitch. Post show talk Friday 16 February. Every performance includes live Audio Description, British Sign Language and spoken English. Creative captioned performances Friday 16 & Saturday 17 February.
‘This is a production that sharpens your hearing by making you see language.’
★★★★ The Guardian (on Frozen) 02
Tuesday 20 February to Saturday 3 March, 7.30pm ARCH 468, UNITY THEATRE AND THE ALBANY PRESENT
Dead and Breathing By Chisa Hutchinson Directed by Rebecca Atkinson-Lord
Spiteful old Carolyn Whitlock wants to die already. She’s been sick with cancer for almost as long as she can remember and the pain has made her so mean that there’s no one left who loves her. She just wants to give up, but now she’s going to have to work harder than she ever has in her privileged life to convince her very Christian nurse to help her end it. But Veronika isn’t all she seems and before Carolyn can die in peace, they’ll both need to let go of everything they believe about what is right. The cast are Lizan Mitchell, multi-award winning stage and film actress whose credits include The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix); The Wire (HBO) and Electra (Broadway) and Kim Tatum (aka Mz Kimberley), American trans woman actress and model whose credits include Summer (TRSE) and EastEnders (BBC). Dead and Breathing is an unexpectedly funny tale of morality and mortality that pits the right to die against the right to live on your own terms. £14 / £10 concs. EUROPEAN PREMIERE
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Thursday 22 February, 7.30pm ARC STOCKTON PRESENTS
Luca Rutherford’s Political Party Directed by Alex Swift
Luca’s confused, overwhelmed and feels stupid about politics. So she’s throwing a party. A political party. There will be music, dancing and eggs! No suits. No know-it-alls. No big words. Join Luca in her attempt to get playful with the seriousness of figuring out what’s going on, how we got to this point and where we go from here? £10 / £8 concs. PREVIEW PERFORMANCE
Wednesday 14 March, 2pm & 7.30pm MIND THE GAP PRESENTS
Mia: Daughters of Fortune
Fast moving, raw and eye-opening, Mia explores the truths and myths about learning disability and parenthood in today’s society. Think pop culture with popcorn, science with silliness, stories with statistics. Mia challenges the often taken for granted idea of ‘being a parent’. Mind The Gap work in partnership with learningdisabled artists to create exciting, surprising and challenging experiences for regional, national and international audiences. They return to the Albany following the acclaimed run of Contained in Spring 2016. £14 / £10 concs.
Image: Dead and Breathing Photos: Alex Beckett & Maria Baranova-Suzuki
★★★★★ Ed Fringe Review
★★★★ The Stage
★★★★ Fest Mag
★★★★ The Mumble
Each performance will be followed by a post show talk. Wrap-around workshops to be announced, see thealbany.org.uk for more information. 04
Tuesday 20 to Friday 23 March, 7.30pm UCHENNA DANCE PRESENTS
The Head Wrap Diaries Three fierce, clever and witty female characters take us through stories of community, heritage, womanhood, friendship, and most importantly, hair.
‘The Head Wrap Diaries was INCREDIBLE. Laughter, good dancing and great energy!’ Isaac Ouro, A Younger Theatre
‘Here is a work that is engaging, authentic, culturally rooted and beautifully danced with an intelligent installation and (head) wrap-around programme.’ Writing About Dance
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Set within a South London hair-salon called BE U Tiful, The Head Wrap Diaries gives you front row seats to watch, interact with and be immersed in a journey from childhood to the present day. Told through a unique blend of house, waacking and vogue fused with African and contemporary dance and accompanied by a commissioned soundtrack of Afro house, folk, electronic dance music, jazz and Ghana gospel.
A pre-show installation will get you in the mood with specially commissioned art work, poetry, hair and head wrap displays. While the post-show Head Wrap Bar is your opportunity to share experiences, have a drink and test out some head wrapping with the company. Don’t forget to bring your fabrics! £14 / £10 concs.
Photo: Foteini Christofilopoulou
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‘HYENA screams girl power at the top of its lungs and, coincidentally, represents and embodies the essence of womanhood. A strong show that empowers and inspires.’ Miro Magazine
Supported by Arts Council England, Jacksons Lane, The National Centre for Circus Arts and SeaChange Arts.
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Thursday 12 & Friday 13 April, 7.30pm ALULA CYR PRESENTS
HYENA “She is the one who turns like a great wheel. She is the maker of cycles. She is the one we leave home for and come home to. She is the mucky root of all women.” HYENA explodes onto the UK circus scene in a whirlwind of women, wheels, acrobatics, dance and song. Made by an all-female production team and featuring synchronised spinning with three wheels, joining wheels to create striking structures and double and triple spinning on a single wheel HYENA is the culmination of three years’ research into pioneering new ways of working with one of circus’ fastest evolving disciplines. Boisterous, playful and wild, HYENA is a synchronised display of sisterhood, strength and power. £14 / £10 concs. Part of Roundhouse CircusFest.
Photo: Mark Dawson Photography
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Tuesday 10 April, 1.30pm & 7.30pm
Wednesday 18 & Thursday 19 April, 7.45pm
LIZ AGGISS PRESENTS
CHERYL MARTIN PRESENTS
Slap and Tickle
Created and performed by Liz Aggiss Slap and Tickle is an award winning, dark and ribald physical commentary on social mores and sexual taboos. A disorientating display of interpretations and contradictions about girls, women, mothers and senior citizens. Beating a path through the personal and historical, Aggiss creates a feminist soup that lurches from spoken word to expressionist movement, from music hall to radio nostalgia, from costume change to prop manipulation. £14 / £10 concs.
Who Wants to Live Forever?
Written and performed by Cheryl Martin Directed by Darren Pritchard A show about one woman’s life-long love for Billie Holiday’s music, for the stars, and for her lost baby brother. Who Wants To Live Forever? is about camping holidays and friendship; about learning how to sing so that you can sing to the stars; about loss and memory, and turning memory into myths of Amazon princesses sailing the skies. £12 / £10 concs.
‘The hilarious tickle never undermines the serious slap in this solo – sheer brilliance.’ The Herald
‘Cheryl Martin’s delightful and sometimes disturbing mix of memory, anecdote, music and imagination is a performance gem.’ John McGrath, Manchester International Festival
Image: Slap and Tickle
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Thursday 19 April, 7.30pm PROTEIN PRESENTS
Border Tales Conceived and Directed by Luca Silvestrini Following a phenomenal run at the Edinburgh Fringe to sold-out audiences, award-winning company Protein presents a thought-provoking yet poignant commentary on multicultural Britain through dance, live music and dialogue compiled from the performers’ personal experiences. Border Tales looks at post-Brexit Britain seen through the eyes of an international cast and gazes satirically on stereotypical thinking about ‘migrant outsiders’ and ‘bigoted homelanders’. £14 / £10 concs. Post show talk.
‘Funny, thought-provoking and consistently entertaining, Border Tales celebrates our differences, acknowledges our sameness and does more to repair the rifts than politics ever could.’
★★★★★ The Scotsman
Commissioned by Bath Dance, ICIA Bath, DanceEast, DanceXchange, Dance Manchester and The Place.
Photo: Jane Hobson
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★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★★ Scottish Mail on Sunday
Reviews Hub
Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
Edinburgh Evening News
Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 May, 7.30pm Matinees Tuesday 2pm & Saturday 3pm
Thursday 10 May, 7.30pm (doors)
CARDBOARD CITIZENS PRESENTS
HANNAH SILVA PRESENTS
By Ali Taylor
Talk in a Bit is the debut record by poet, writer and performer Hannah Silva. Joined by internationally renowned musicians, the semantic tapestries of her poems are transformed by electronics and percussion. Includes a new duet with Tomomi Adachi.
Cathy
Following it’s 5* hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Cathy returns to London. Exploring homelessness 50 years on from Cathy Come Home, the seminal Ken Loach film, Cathy is candid, poignant and intimate. It offers a timely reflection on the social and personal impact of spiralling housing costs, gentrification and the challenges of forced relocation away from London. Cardboard Citizens make theatre which illuminates homelessness and the lives of homeless people, revealing truth and sometimes beauty. £14 / £10 concs. Following the play, audiences will have the opportunity to experience an interactive Forum
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Talk in a Bit
‘The vocal acrobatics of musician and writer Hannah Silva test the physical limits of language.’ The Wire
£12 / £10 concs. This event takes place at Canada Water Theatre. Supported by Humankind Records and Arts Council England.
Image: Yvette
Thursday 17 to Saturday 19 May, 7.30pm CHINA PLATE PRESENTS
Friday 15 & Saturday 16 June, 7.30pm MALA VOADORA AND CHRIS THORPE IN ASSOCIATION WITH ARC STOCKTON PRESENT
Yvette
Your Best Guess
Evie is thirteen and lives in Neasden with her Mum. She wants to tell us about something… her crush on Lewis, trying to be a woman, friends, virginity, garage remixes, hello kitty underwear and an ‘Uncle’ lurking in the corner of her story.
We can’t help living in the future – booking flights for holidays, organising birthday parties, writing applications. But all of this is merely supposition. When the time comes, these things may happen according to plan, or they may not. Life is entirely unpredictable.
By Urielle Klein-Mekongo
Based a true story, Yvette is a one woman show with original music about a stolen childhood and growing up with a secret.
‘Yvette is a winning and poignant work... laced with humour and music.’
Portuguese theatre company mala voadora and writer and performer Chris Thorpe (Jerwood New Playwright 2017 at the Royal Court) collaborate in Your Best Guess to investigate the way we bet on the future.
★★★★ The Stage £12 / £10 concs.
£14 / £10 concs.
Commissioned by Bernie Grant Arts Centre. In Association with Hull 2017.
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Get Involved Young People Each year, thousands of people of all ages get involved in projects, courses, workshops, clubs and events at the Albany. They tell us it’s improved their confidence, health, social networks, career prospects and quality of life. To find out more, visit the Get Involved section on the Albany website, email creative@thealbany.org.uk or call or message 07984 355 826.
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Programmes range from Love2Dance, which offers street dance sessions at the Albany and locations throughout the borough, to Albany Young Creatives, which gives aspiring performers and producers the chance to work with industry professionals to stage their own events. We also offer workshops and courses in spoken word, music, drama and backstage skills through our Uncover programme, or you can join Sounds Like Chaos, our resident theatre company for teenagers.
Performances Wednesday 9 to Saturday 12 May, 7.30pm NATIONAL THEATRE CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL PRESENTS
NT Connections at the Albany
The National Theatre Connections festival is a celebration of young people, theatre-making and the importance of access to the arts. Each year ten new plays are commissioned for young people to perform, bringing together exciting writers and the theatre-makers of tomorrow. £7 / £5 concs. Visit thealbany.org.uk for more details and age guidances.
Sunday 18 March, 2pm & 6pm THE ALBANY AND LEWISHAM HOMES PRESENT
The Cloud
A breath-taking collaboration of physical theatre and original beats, twisted into a political story about living in the digital age. A brand new dance theatre production by young people age 11 to 16 from Love2Dance. £5 / £2 Lewisham Homes Residents. Ages 8+.
All Ages Projects for adults include Meet Me at… our suite of activities for over 60s; Displace Yourself, for people who have experienced homelessness; and Get Growing our gardening club, with sessions for all ages. Many of these projects are made possible through our partnership with Lewisham Homes, plus support from brilliant organisations like Youth First, Bags of Help, Lewisham Council, Awards for All and many more.
For more information on Love2Dance email love2dance@thealbany.org.uk or call / message 07984 355826.
Saturday 24 March, 7.30pm ALBANY YOUNG CREATIVES PRESENTS
Lewisham Live!
Young artists and producers from the Albany present an astonishing night of music and dance as part of Lewisham Live! - an annual festival of music and dance in Lewisham. £5 / £3 concs. In partnership with Lewisham Live! For more information on the project or to get involved email creative@thealbany.org.uk or call / message 07984 355826
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Monday 12 to Friday 16 February
Half Term
SMASHFESTUK PRESENTS
The Flood
SMASHfestUK returns with its unique mash-up festival of science and arts for all ages. Themed this year around a super flood. Most events Pay-What-You-Decide. All Ages. Line-up to be announced – check thealbany.org.uk for details.
Sunday 4 March, 1pm & 3pm Sunday 28 January, 2pm – 5pm
KID CARPET AND THE NOISY ANIMALS PRESENT
Disco Kids: Old Skool Disco
The Noisy Animals are looking forward to their dream holiday and have some brilliant ideas about where to go. Kid Carpet just wants them all to be together but will he be able to keep everyone happy? This lively show contains a mix of live music, theatre, comedy, puppetry and animation.
THE ALBANY PRESENTS
Noisy Holiday
Grab your pink leg warmers and make your hair as big as can be! It’s our retro disco for the digital generation to party like it’s the ‘80s. Google vintage Kyle and Jason, Tina Turner, or the kids from Fame for inspiration.
£7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 3+.
£6 / £20 family ticket. Under 7s.
Sunday 4 February, 1pm & 3pm JAY FORMAN PRESENTS
Disgusting Songs for Revolting Children
A devilishly cheeky hour of songs, poems and comedy from award-winning musical comedian, Jay Foreman.
Sunday 11 March, 1pm & 3pm PEUT-ÊTRE THEATRE PRESENTS
Tidy Up
When it starts out ship-shape, there’s only one way for it to go. Join us for a dance-theatre performance that gets all messed up. £7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 3+.
£7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 6+.
Sunday 25 March, 1pm & 3pm
Sunday 11 February, 1pm & 3pm
Library Lion
FILSKIT THEATRE PRESENTS
Bright Sparks
A playful and visually exciting original play, exploring the beauty of difference. Watch two opposite characters get their wires crossed and their noodles in a muddle as they strive to find ways to work and play together. £7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 3+.
UNTIED ARTISTS PRESENTS
Adapted by Untied Artists from the awardwinning book. Everyone knows rules have to be followed, especially in libraries. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But what would happen if a lion came to storytime? With songs, laughter and lots of joining in but NO ROARING! £7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 4+. This event takes place at Deptford Lounge.
Families
Sunday 22 April, 1pm & 3pm
ENGINE HOUSE IN ASSOCIATION WITH YORK THEATRE ROYAL PRESENT
Grandad’s Island
Syd’s favourite person in the whole wide world is Grandad and Grandad’s favourite person is Syd. Join the intrepid duo as they head off into the jungle on a life-changing adventure filled with songs and laughter. £7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 5+.
Tuesday 3 & Wednesday 4 April, 1pm & 3pm MAKIN PROJECTS PRESENT
Tweedy’s Slapstick Symphony
Tweedy the clown is putting on a show with his legendary comedy and slapstick skills. Unfortunately classical musician Ludvink Loyal thinks he’s there to put on a symphony concert. Can they learn to get on and make the show work? £7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 5+.
Saturday 7 April, 1pm & 3pm MORGAN & WEST PRESENT
Morgan & West: More Magic for Kidz
Time-travelling magicians Morgan & West’s marvellous magic show full of crazy capers! Expect the unexpected, believe the unbelievable, but do not dare miss the unmissable Morgan & West! £7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 5+.
Sunday 15 April, 2 – 5pm THE ALBANY PRESENTS
Disco Kids: Witches and Wizards
Wee witches and sapling sorcerers, grab your broomsticks and fly on down to the Albany for a magical dance party with themed video, live performance and a spell-binding soundtrack!
Sunday 29 April, 1pm & 3pm
MUMBLECRUST THEATRE PRESENTS
The Tale of the Cockatrice
Beneath an ancient priory a hideous monster awakens... Two muddle-headed storytellers use breath-taking puppetry, boisterous and beautiful live music, and general tomfoolery to create a monstrous fable. £7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 6+.
Sunday 13 May, 1pm & 3pm
TAKING FLIGHT THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS
You’ve Got Dragons
A delightful tale of one child’s journey to come to terms with their dragons. With live, original music, this highly visual, sensitive production is a humorous and touching exploration of the dragons we all face. With captioning, interwoven BSL and audio description. £7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 3+.
Sunday 20 May, 1pm & 3pm Monday 21 May, 10.30am and 1pm
ENGLISH TOURING OPERA PRESENTS
Shakleton’s Cat
Shakleton’s Cat tells the story of the voyage and destruction of the Endurance 100 years ago, and the subsequent tale of survival against all odds. Featuring an ingenious set, interactive songs and a puppet cat. £7 / £24 family ticket. Ages 8+.
£6 / £20 family ticket. Under 7s.
Buy a Family Ticket and save!
*Family Ticket comprises four tickets.
Regular Events
Hatched
Works and Ideas in progress ‘hatched’ at the Albany.
*Pay-What-You-Decide.
Friday 9 March, 7pm
Friday 9 March, 7pm
Google Feet
Exile, Magic and Power All Together Now
SOUNDS LIKE CHAOS PRESENTS
at the Albany
JAN BLAKE PRESENTS
at Canada Water Theatre
Friday 13 April, , 7pm INKY CLOAK PRESENTS
at the Albany
Image: Cabaret Playroom
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Tuesday 30 January, 6.30pm - 8.30pm THE ALBANY PRESENTS
Albany AGM Join us to celebrate the Albany’s achievements over the last year and find out about our plans for the future at our Annual General Meeting.
Tuesday 22 May, 1pm – 3pm ENTELECHY ARTS AND THE ALBANY PRESENT
FREE. Booking advised.
A 21st Century Tea Dance: Time Travel
Thursdays, 8 February & 19 April, 7.30pm (doors) and Friday 29 June, 8pm (doors)
A tea dance with a difference, time travel themed with our trademark mix of live comedy, music, dance, tea and gossip.
CHILL PILL AND THE ALBANY PRESENT
Chill Pill & Chill Pill: The Big One
£5. Carer’s and under 5s: FREE but ticketed. Booking essential. Wheelchair and families welcome!
Mixed bill nights of unpredictable, heartfelt and hilarious spoken word from one of the UK’s leading poetry collectives.
Tuesday 29 May to Saturday 9 June, 7pm (doors). Excluding Sunday.
£8 - £10.
Pure Gold
Tuesdays 6 March and 15 May, 7.30pm TRICITY VOGUE AND LISA LEE PRESENT
Cabaret Playroom
Established artists and emerging performers bring ground-breaking works-in-progress to the Albany. *Pay-What-You-Decide.
Thursdays 29 March & 24 May, 7.30pm
GOLDSMITHS PRESENTS
The perfect platform for seeing the future of UK music with final degree shows from Goldsmiths students. £10 / £4 concs / £3 GoldPass available to Goldsmiths students.
Tuesday 19 June, 7.30pm LIVIA FILOTICO PRESENTS
Tell Yours
STORY JAM PRESENTS
Eight of the country’s most dynamic emerging voices in storytelling are ready to take you someplace else with their spellbinding tales.
Stand-up storytelling and music, with a different line-up each time.
£8. Takes place at Canada Water Theatre.
£8 / £7 concs. Takes place at Canada Water Theatre.
Friday 6 July, 7pm – 11pm
Story Jam
HEART N SOUL PRESENTS
Saturday 21 April, 8pm (doors)
The Squidz Club
LEWISHAM ARTHOUSE AND THE ALBANY PRESENTS
The club for young people with learning disabilities aged 10-25, their friends and families.
A genre busting night of experimental music featuring a heady mix of punk, free jazz, electronica, sound art and breakbeat.
£5. Parents and careres: Pay-What-You-Want.
sound is sound is sound £10 in advance / £12 on the door / £8 under 25 with ID. Standing.
*See back page for more details on Pay-What-You-Decide
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Age Guidances Where we have age guidance on events for adults, it is because the show may contain adult language or content. For more information, please check the website, call box office or email reception@thealbany.org.uk.
Lewisham Homes Lewisham Homes residents can now enjoy free workshops and events as well as £2 tickets for under 16s and £5 tickets for adults to most Albany shows, year round. First visit is FREE for Lewisham Homes residents who have never been to the Albany! Terms and conditions apply. Up to six tickets per household, per event.
Pay-What-You-Decide Pay-What-You-Decide means you can book as normal but don’t need to pay until after you’ve seen the show based on how much you enjoyed the experience.
Luca Rutherford’s Political Party. P. 04
We aim to make our venues and events accessible for all. If you require assistance for your access needs, please get in touch with our Box Office, text 07946 374 743 or visit our website. Please notify the Albany of any access needs when booking so we can facilitate you having a great experience.
Mia: Daughters of Fortune. P. 04
Access
Book Online thealbany.org.uk Box Office 020 8692 4446 The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG /albany.deptford @TheAlbanySE8
Who Wants To Live For Ever. P. 09
(Cash and card payments accepted).