REUNITED IN GRIEF

Family drama Big Aunty debuts at the Coventry Belgrade

by Diane Parkes

Big Aunty, the Coventry Belgrade’s first home-produced show in the spring season, is a darkly comic drama following the story of an estranged family who are brought together for a funeral. What’s On recently caught up with three of the show’s creatives to find out more...

New show Big Aunty, which premieres at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre this month, uses the experiences of one family to focus on shared grief and resolution.

When matriarch Big Aunty dies, her children come together to bury her. Travelling from England to Jamaica are daughter Naomi and her two adopted brothers, Marcus and Shaun. But they are by no means a united frontestranged over long periods of time, will their shared sorrow be the catalyst for rebuilding their family?

The show, which features music, physical theatre and drama, has been devised by a team including Belgrade Creative Director Corey Campbell and Birmingham-based actors Alexia McIntosh and Keiren HamiltonAmos, along with a group of community performers.

Corey, who is directing the show, says the darkly comic tale reflects both shared and personal experience.

“On a macro level and thematically, Big Aunty allows people the space to look at all we’ve gone through as a collective over the past three years,” he says. “We’ve had a lot of grief, we’ve had a lot of mourning, changes of leadership, global pandemic, the cost-ofliving crisis, the death of our monarch, and we’ve kind of just shuck back into some kind of reality to get through it.

“And then, on the micro level, the show puts a microscope on a youngish black family who have lost their matriarch in the same way the country has lost its matriarch in the Queen. Within the family there’s politics and drama, in the same way as there’s politics and drama in the royal family.”

The story reveals how the death of Big Aunty becomes the catalyst for a family reunion. “So there are three siblings, two who are adopted into the family and one who is born of mum and dad, and the play looks at how they reconcile through grief. And amongst that is the joy of reconciliation, the joy of memory, and how people live on through memory.

“Big Aunty is also looking at the drama of how long you’re allowed to grieve for, and when is it time to get back to work? It looks at family politics - what happens when there are secrets in the family, and who gets the blame for that?

“It also finds pockets of joy, as we do in the darkest hours, and looks into the normality of tomorrow, because tomorrow still has to happen.”

The trio of actors have been working since March on devising the production. It’s a new experience for Alexia, whose previous roles include Anna of Cleves in Six The Musical.

“As an actor you usually go into the room and the script is already there, so all you are focusing on really is character work,” says Alexia, who grew up in Erdington and studied at Birmingham School of Acting. “But in a devised piece, you’re also a writer, you’re directing, lighting, sound, and you’re thinking about how the story is perceived by the audience. It’s a different way of working, so there are a lot of plates that are spinning and things that you’re having to delve into that you wouldn’t necessarily when you are just coming in as an actor.

“It’s been amazing to come out of musical theatre, which is quite structured, and to work with Keiren and Corey because now we’re delving into what a character wants and the reaction and the emotion from a real place. It’s intense, but it’s great; it’s like going back to drama school!

“I think the audience and us creators will come out of it with a deeper knowledge of grief, knowing it’s okay to face grief head-on and not run away from it. There’s a lot coming out of the rehearsal space that I didn’t necessarily anticipate.”

For Keiren, who most recently played the lead role in Birmingham Rep production GrimeBoy, the devising process has also been a learning curve.

“There are no rules to creativity as long as you are being coherent in your storytelling and making sure the audience comes along on the journey,” he says. “Devising allows you to understand the craft that you’ve learnt in more structured plays, but it allows you to break all of those rules. It allows you to really dig into yourself and find out why something can or can’t happen.”

Although the story focuses on a Jamaican family, it could be any family’s experience of conflict and loss, says Keiren, who grew up in Birmingham’s Newtown and studied at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

“It may have lots of Jamaican elements to it, but on a wider scale, anyone from anywhere can sit down and say ‘Yeah, that was me, or that was mum or aunty.’

“The thing that really shows is the reality of grief. Even though Big Aunty has passed away, there’s so much more going on and so much life going on. So one minute you’re crying, then you’re laughing, then you’re arguing, then you’re crying again.”

The different experiences of the community cast have also fed into the story.

“We couldn’t really do this show without the community being involved,” says Corey, who grew up in Birmingham’s Alum Rock. “It’s part of the way we work at the Belgrade and part of my practice.

“And this show is about community and about that collective grief and collective memories. The community company are doing a lot of our singing with us. They bring a lot of the comedic flow, and they are sharing their experiences.

“The show works because of that diversity of experience. The real reason for diversity isn’t just for the sake of a buzz word but because art requires different voices. It literally grows and gets better when there are different noises in a space.”

And the team hope that the sharing and exchanging of experience will also involve the audience.

“My hope has always been that the audience takes away from the show that it’s okay to display emotion,” says Corey. “And I want the audience to get the importance of reconciliation. We know our days are numbered - we don’t know whether we will see tomorrow - so whatever politics you have or nonsense you have with your siblings, don’t wait until they are in the ground to sort it out. Find a time for forgiveness before it’s too late.”

Theatre for younger audiences...

In The Night Garden

Birmingham Hippodrome, Mon 8 - Wed 10 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 9 - Sun 10 September

If your little ones are big fans of much-loved CBeebies television series In The Night Garden, they’re certain to adore this live version as well.

And it’s not only the kids who’re in love with the stage shows: according to audience surveys and parents’ reviews, nine out of 10 adults consider the productions to be a fivestar theatrical experience.

This currently touring show - titled Igglepiggle’s Busy Day - has a running time of just under an hour and features a very special visit from the amazing flying Pinky Ponk...

Dragons & Mythical Beasts Live

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sun 28 - Tues 30 May; The Rep, Birmingham, Wed 31 MayFri 2 June

If you caught and enjoyed Dinosaur World Live when it toured to the region, then Dragons & Mythical Beasts should also float your boat, as it’s produced by the very same creative team.

An interactive show for all the family to enjoy, the production boasts a cast of ‘magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts’. These include the colossal Stone Troll, the mysterious Indrik and Japanese Baku, the Tooth Fairy (who’s not as sweet as you’d think), an adorable unicorn and a majestic griffin. Oh, and there’s a dragon, too - but the producers strongly advise that you steer well clear of doing anything that might risk waking it up...

The Singing Mermaid

The Rep, Birmingham, Sat 27 & Sun 28 May

Little Angel Theatre’s stage adaptation of the popular children’s book by Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks visits Birmingham riding high on a wave of positive reviews.

The story focuses on the adventures of the eponymous character after she is tempted away from the safety of the ocean to become part of a travelling circus. But although audiences love her singing, it isn’t long before she realises that she’s been tricked by the dastardly circus master... Developed for children aged from three to eight, the show has a running time of 55 minutes.

Ministry of Science Live

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 27 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 30 May; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Wed 31 May; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Thurs 1 June Liquid nitrogen clouds, exploding oxygen & hydrogen balloons, fire tornados, hydrogen bottle rockets, ignited methane and even a self-built hovercraft are all part and parcel of the Ministry Of Science’s anarchic approach to science communication.

As well as taking a look at the inventors and engineers who’ve shaped and inspired the modern world, the show’s presenters will be conducting clever demonstrations aplenty. The resultant loud bangs should certainly keep everybody on their toes!

Milkshake! Live

Lichfield Garrick, Sat 13 May; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Wed 31 May; Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock, Thurs 1 June; The Place, Telford, Shropshire, Sat 22 July; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Fri 4 August

Milkshake Monkey’s putting on a show - and he’s inviting little ones to come along and join in the fun with Paddington, Daisy & Ollie, Milo, Noddy, Pip & Posy and Blue’s Clues... If you’ve watched the TV series and/or been to a previous live production, you’ll already know what to expect from a Milkshake! show. If not, get ready for an event that promises lots of laughter, bucketloads of family fun, bags of audience participation and plenty of singing and dancing.

Zog: Live On Stage

Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire, Tues 23 & Wed 24 May; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wed 26 - Sun 30 July

With their other shows including Tiddler And Other Terrific Tales, Stick Man and Tabby McTat, it’s fair to say that Freckle Productions know a thing or two about presenting stage adaptations of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler books.

One of the most popular, and here making a welcome return to the stage, is Zog - the delightful story of a young dragon who is determined to win himself a gold star while attending dragon school.

Zog is so determined, in fact, that he tries a little bit too hard and finds himself bumping, burning and roaring his way through years one, two and three. Somewhat the worse for wear from his experiences, he not only finds himself being patched up by the plucky Princess Pearl but also coming face-to-face with his biggest challenge yet… a duel with the knight, Sir Gadabout the Great!

Alyssa Edwards On Tour

Birmingham Town Hall, Tues 2 May

From dance instructor and drag pageantry scene performer to global superstar - Alyssa Edwards has certainly been on a turbocharged ride since appearing in the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race a decade ago. Real name Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, Alyssa’s candid testimonials, outrageous tongue-pops and quirky personality traits have seen her score a major hit with drag fans across the world. She visits Birmingham with Becoming Alyssa, ‘an epic, must-see, tell-all, dance-all story about her life growing up, her extraordinary career, and her incredible journey to finding love’.

A Night Of Stars

The Rep, Birmingham, Tues 9 May

Jasper Carrott here hosts a special tribute to Bob Warman, the Walsall-born ITV news anchorman who retired last summer. All proceeds from the show will go to the Journalist’s Charity - founded by Charles Dickens in 1864 to support journalists and their families through tough times - and

Birmingham’s Acorns Children’s Hospice. Commenting on the event, Jasper said: “It is an honour to be presenting this very special evening celebrating the extensive career of Birmingham’s brilliant broadcaster, Bob Warman. This one-off event guarantees audiences plenty of laughter and entertainment at the city’s historic leading theatre.”|

Scottish Falsetto Socks: Eurovision Sock Contest

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 12 May

Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre have been making audiences laugh their socks off for a good few years now, regularly scoring a major success at the Edinburgh Fringe with their rude, anarchic and routinely trailblazing performances. This latest offering sees ‘Earth’s funniest socks’ presenting a winning blend of ‘songs, sketches, and Gags Sans Frontieres’ based around the subject of the Eurovision Song Contest - the 2023 final of which takes place in Liverpool the following night.

Sir Jack’s History Boys

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 22 May Former Wolverhampton Wanderers footballers Matt Murray Mark Kennedy, Nathan Blake and Kenny Miller are reunited

Theatre

The Noise Next Door

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Sat 13 May for an evening in conversation with Sky Sports presenter Johnny Phillips. The subject under discussion: Wolves’ return to the top flight 20 years ago following a 19-year absence. The club at the time was owned by Sir Jack Hayward, hence the show’s title.

Praised for presenting their audiences with ‘a superior kind of chaos’, The Noise Next Door is a quartet of improvising comedians who’ve been garnering critical praise for a good few years now. Big in Edinburgh at festival time, they pride themselves on their originality and quick-wittedness.

Previous on-stage endeavours have included a mini-musical embracing the uncomfortable bedfellows of pantomime, folk music and death-metal, and a surreal adventure in which the Magic Roundabout’s Zebedee leads the forces of good against Darth Vader, who’s holed up in Worcester Cathedral. They visit MAC this month with two shows on the same day: Mysterious Mansions Of Mystery and Hometown Heroes.

Ventriloquist: A Day In The Life Of Arthur Lager

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Fri 26 May

The days when people delighted at the likes of Keith Harris fitting his arm up the behind of a curious-looking puppet and seemingly making it talk are long gone. Well, at least they were until recently. But now there’s one man in particular who’s doing his bit to change the widely held view that ventriloquism acts are old hat, tired out, and alarmingly frayed at the edges. That man is Steve Hewlett, Britain’s Got Talent finalist 2013, whose puppet partners include Chi Chi the dog, Pongo the skunk and cheeky old geezer Arthur Lager.

The puppets of Simon Cowell and Sinittawhich Steve used during his Britain’s Got Talent run - might also get an airing on the night.