Curtain up on new spoken word show
Award-winning writer and director Drew Taylor is bringing his exciting new theatrical spoken word show 'thick skin, elastic heart' to Craignish Village Hall.
In association with Platform, Theatre Royal Dumfries and D&G Arts Live, the production is an exciting collection of contemporary spoken word monologues and group poems that give a voice to a generation who are often reduced to a soundbite by mass media: ineffectual, lazy, over-sensitive ‘snow-flakes'.
Performed by the punchy and diverse cast of Cameron Fulton, Danielle Jam, Robert Elkin and Charlotte Driessler, this stimulating hybrid poetic theatre production encapsulates exactly what it means to be a millennial living in modern Britain. The show plays like a frenzied scroll through a social media feed, with seemingly disconnected pieces running into one another at speed, woven together with athletic physical delivery. It showcases a kaleidoscope of voices from throughout the UK, tackling a myriad of topics and truly capturing the zeitgeist.
As if Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas had been filtered through the lens of Instagram, this darkly comedic show explores issues such as miscarriages, porn addiction and the endless consequence of self-imposed high expectations, screened through constant digital communication.
Taking the audience on an exhilarating and emotional journey through the characters' lives, Drew's honest, witty and at times devastating take on the lives of millennials, invites the audience to sit with the fascinating minutiae of everyday life and reflect on the moments that make us who we are.
Speaking ahead of the show's opening, writer and director Drew said: ‘thick skin, elastic heart has been in development for 10 years. The language of the work is unique. It is equal parts poetry and character-driven dialogue, a style I have been working for a long time to hone. It's a labour of love that I am so excited to share across Scotland.
‘I wrote it because I wanted to give more of a voice to a generation that is so frequently dismissed. I've created a forum for topics that are affecting our younger generation now, presented in a way that feels appropriate for their short-form digital interaction. The performance is messy and elegant and at least one of the segments will resonate with everyone's personal experience.'
Fresh from his MOJO performance, Lost in Berlin will grace the stage once more, being approached to fill the support act slot with a spoken word performance.
'thick skin, elastic heart' takes place in Craignish Village Hall, Ardfern, on Saturday November 2 at 7.30pm.
To book tickets, visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/craignishvillagehall