Multiple Award-Nominated Team Behind West End Hit ‘SID’ Return with
KICKED IN THE SH*TTER
by Leon Fleming
Depression. Sanctions. Anxiety. Self harm. Back to work. Substance Abuse. JSA. AA. ESA. FA. PIP. Sibling love and sibling dependency; Kicked in the Sh*tter is a bittersweet tale of a brother and sister struggling to live with mental health difficulties amidst the labyrinthine wreckage of a decayed welfare state.
Regaled childhood squabbles and stories of hope and aspirations we all recognise, take us through this timely two-hander set in Birmingham, but lived and experienced across the UK.
Life is pretty shit when you’re trapped in a forever darkening world of dispassionate government policy with no way out. Holding on to each other might be the only thing stopping you drown. Leon Fleming’s new play is a story of struggle and hope for those who fall through the cracks today and every day. But this isn’t poverty porn; there’s nothing sexy about despair.
“I’d always fancied myself as a bit of a Sinatra. And that song, at a moment like that. Well, it just doesn’t get much more perfect, does it?”
They call it ‘the incident’ now. What happened, when they first met. He always said it was part of his romantic plan, but they both know that’s rubbish. Join Arthur and Jane, at the beginning, as they tell us their story.
Fresh from a residency at the Lyric Hammersmith as part of their Emerging Artists Programme, Off the Middle are excited to present Matthew Seager’s debut play IN OTHER WORDS, directed by Paul Brotherston.
This intimate, humorous, and deeply moving love story, explores the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and the incredible power that music has in helping us to remember the past, connect to the present, and hope for the future.
Brought to life by two actors, we are led through fifty years of Arthur and Jane’s relationship, jumping in and out of memories and experiencing, for brief moments, a failing mind as it loses its grip on reality.
Cast
Arthur – Matthew Seager Jane – TBC
Creatives
Producer – Stephanie Withers Director – Paul Brotherston Assistant Director – Euan Tyre Designer – Paul Brotherston Sound Designer – Iida Aino Stage Manager – Stephanie Withers
Off the Middle are an exciting new company currently presenting two original shows. In Other Words was developed as part of the Lyric Hammersmith’s Emerging Artists Residency, and Lead Suspect was awarded the Farnham Maltings No Strings Attached grant. For In Other Words, Off the Middle are also proud to be working in association with The Alzheimer’s Society and Playlist for Life, and under the mentorship of Hartshorn – Hook Productions. Lead Suspect will tour in Autumn 2017.
