Clean Break's garden view

Published: 26 April 2021
Reporter: Sandra Giorgetti

Blis-ta
Through This Mist

Clean Break, a women-only theatre company focusing on women in the criminal justice system through work in prisons, in the community and with their artist-led members programme, is presenting a cross-disciplinary season starting next month.

The schedule includes a limited run of live performances of Through This Mist in the company's north London venue gardens.

This 2 Metres Apart project saw Clean Break Members and female artists commissioned by the company last summer to work in collaboration at a time of isolation and loneliness. The participants are Ayesha Antoine and Yvonne Wickham, Deborah Bruce and Sarah Cowan, Katherine Chandler and Nicole Hall, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and TerriAnn Oudjar and Chloë Moss and Sarah-Jane Dent.

Audio drama Blis-ta about two homeless girls and the transformative power of friendship is available from mid-May. Written by the late Sonya Hale, playwright and Clean Break member, it is directed by Róisín McBrinn and performed by Ambreen Razia and Ria Zmitrowicz.

The introduction is by Clean Break patron Lucy Kirkwood and there is a live online discussion on women and hidden homelessness on 19 May.

I Am A Theatre—40 Years Of Clean Break is an exhibition at Swiss Cottage Gallery celebrates the company’s 40-year history as a radical theatre company.

Anna Herrmann and Roísín McBrinn, joint artistic directors said, “this season typifies our commitments for the future: an increased investment in our digital voice with a new short film and audio drama, a celebration of our campaigning roots with I am a theatre, our archive exhibition, and a desire to be back together to share live theatre in an outdoor production at our home in Kentish Town.

"We are especially proud that the season contains so much work created by, or in collaboration with, our members. We look forward to being with our audiences online, in our building and in Swiss Cottage Gallery—coming together again in all these spaces as brighter times begin.”

There is also an online performance of Voices From Prison performed by a cast of actors and member artists and a short film Sweatbox by Chloë Moss about a group of women being transported to prison based on her play.

Through This Mist has three pay-what-you-can performances in mid-July; Blis-ta is available free but donations are welcome as is Voices from Prison. The exhibition must be pre-booked and is free.

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