Bite Your Tongue enters Production Week
August 30, 2017
From small beginnings has sprung a mighty show. Bite Your Tongue opens on Thursday! The whole programme has been such a whirl, very intense but utterly wonderful. Our little gang has devised a show that I'm really really proud of; it approaches complex issues head-on and does justice to the stories of the young theatre-makers who created it.
On the first day our director Miranda quoted Toni Morrison "Make it political as hell. Make it irrevocable beautiful" and I think that's what we've done. The show is woven through with songs we wrote, people we've met, conversations we've had and most of all, questions we've asked ourselves and each other. It's also pretty funny if I say so myself!
On top of the acting training, it's been wonderful to be inside a professional production on this scale - part of the TYPT process includes being involved in things like set design showings and marketing meetings, so we've had a privileged insight to the show's process beyond the creative.
Here's some info about all the amazing people at Talawa who've been working with us:
Director Miranda Cromwell
Miranda trained on the National Theatre Studio Directors course in 2015. She is currently Artistic Director of Twisted Theatre and was Young Company director at Bristol Old Vic from 2009 to 2014. Her work as assistant director includes Swallows and Amazons at Bristol Old Vic; An Enemy of the People at Chichester; and hang at the Royal Court. As associate director: Coram Boy at Bristol Old Vic. As staff director: Angels in America at the National Theatre. As director: Half Breed at the Soho; The Rest of Your Life at the Bush; Magic Elves at Bristol Old Vic; Death and Treason on a south-west tour; Dancing at Lughnasa at Charleston College of Arts, USA; Pigeon English at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Underbelly; Children of Killers for Connections at the National; and Our Country’s Good at the Stephen Joseph as part of National Student Drama Festival, receiving the Judges Award for Artistic Leadership.
Yami Lofvenberg - Movement Director
Yami "Rowdy" Lofvenberg is a London-based artist, with 20 years’ experience, one of the UK’s finest, well know within the battle circuit and Hip Hop dance community a respected teacher, choreographer, judge, host and a positive role model for young women.
Performed, choreographed and directed for numerous shows including: Dance captain/ consultant for the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony section “Second to the right, and straight on till morning” Breakin Convention, Theatre Is, Bsupreme, and Battle of the Year Germany.
Hazel Holder - Voice
Hazel is a voice and dialect coach, and a performer. Her work in theatre includes, as a performer, Here We Go, As You Like It (choir), Medea and Death and the King’s Horseman at the National; The Tempest at the RSC; The Bakkhai at the Almeida; Dart’s Love for Tête-à-Tête; Tamba Tamba for tiata fahodzi; Dalston Songs (ROH2) for Helen Chadwick Song Theatre; The Bacchae for the Royal Exchange; Six Characters in Search of an Author for Headlong; The Bacchae for National Theatre of Scotland national tour and on Broadway; Mercy Fine in Mercy Fine for Clean Break; The Sleeping Beauty at the Young Vic, the Barbican, and on Broadway; and Carmen Jones and Ain’t Misbehavin’ in the West End.
Michael Henry - Music
Michael is a London-born composer, musical director, vocalist and clarinettist. His musical education began at the Centre for Young Musicians (ILEA CYM) in 1977 and continued at the Royal College of Music 1981-85, studying clarinet and composition.
Music Directorial positions include: Barber Shop Chronicles (National Theatre 2017), They Drink It In The Congo (Almeida Theatre 2016), May Contain Food (Protein Dance 2015-16), Boi Boi Is Dead (West Yorkshire Playhouse 2015), Mr. Burns (Almeida Theatre 2014), The Amen Corner (National Theatre 2013), FEAST (Young Vic 2013), Emperor and Galilean (National Theatre 2011), FELA! (National Theatre 2010) and Death and the King's Horseman (National Theatre 2009).
Michael has provided live backing vocals for George Michael, Chaka Khan, Will Young and The Pet Shop Boys, studio vocals for Diana Ross, Robbie Williams, Billy Bragg, Chrissy Hynde and Michael Ball, classical performances for Ensemble Mordern, Shiva Nova, Matrix and Glyndebourne.
Gail Babb - Producer
Gail is the Producer for Participation and Learning at Talawa Theatre Company. She is a theatre practitioner who specialises in participatory arts work in a range of community settings. She has run Talawa Theatre Company’s Participation Department for 9 years, developing an innovative programme that places an emphasis on bespoke, participant-led projects and has brought Talawa’s work with emerging theatre-makers to the centre of the company.
Alongside her work at Talawa, Gail is Partnerships Convenor for the MA Applied Theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London and has continued to freelance as a facilitator and producer for a number of arts companies, including Emergency Exit Arts, Southwark Playhouse and London Bubble.
Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey - Designer
Sadeysa trained at Rose Bruford College obtaining a BA Hons in Scenic Art, Prop Making and Set Construction. Her Designer work includes: I Call My Brother (The Gate) Orphans of the Grange, Gargantua ,The Endless Night (Tricycle Theatre); The Far Side ( South Hill Park); The Legend Of Hamba (Tiata Fahodzi).
Design Associate/Assistant includes: One Love (Birmingham Rep); Torn, The River, Choir Boy, (Royal Court); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (National Theatre); and The Changeling (Young Vic).