Only a few days before the General Election, a series of four micro-plays together known as The Russell Brand Effect will be performed at Birmingham REP.
They will be staged by BOLDtext Playwrights: eight writers who collaborate to promote their work. They are Stephen Jackson, Liz John, Nicola Jones, Helen Kelly, Sayan Kent, Vanessa Oakes, Tim Stimpson and Julia Wright. Founded in 2013, BOLDtext has already presented five evenings of new work at The Rep.
Comedian Russell Brand takes the view that there is no point in voting because politicians do not care about us, so we should not care about them.
BOLDtext Playwrights “fight back against political apathy” and discuss how to produce political change.
In Stephen Jackson’s Ted Pigeon, Caretaker, a modern caretaker tries to sort out the audience's political confusion.
Care of Duty by Liz John looks at “the mismatch between the care industry and what it's supposed to achieve”.
Fracked Off by Julia Wright examines “political parties versus political activists” while An Act of Determining the Total Number of Something by Vanessa Oakes will be presented in remembrance of Malcolm Burge, a 66-year-old retired gardener who committed suicide after being “caught up in the change of the government benefits system”.
The Russell Brand Effect is in The Door at Birmingham REP on Tuesday. Tickets are free but should be pre-booked on 0121 236 4455 or at the Birmingham REP web site.
Four more BOLDtext writers will reflect on the result of the election in a second show, The Russell Brand Effect – the Morning After, on Monday 29 June in The Door.