Newcastle’s Alphabetti Theatre has announced its alternative Christmas show, How Did We Get to This Point?, a piece of verbatim theatre produced in association with homeless charity Crisis and based on real stories from countless interviews and conversations with people on the streets, in hostels and in foster care that writer, Ali Pritchard, has met over a period of six years.
It’s also Pritchard’s own story, the “hidden truth” of a five-year struggle to build an independent theatre company, linked with stories from homeless people, young people, people who get lost, people who've had enough. It is an investigation into where we live, the mess we’re in and the slope we’re going down. It is a story about change, both individually and in society.
What, it asks, has happened to our compassion?
Featuring live music and directed by Alphabetti’s Literary Manager Ben Dickenson, the play will be performed by Rosie Fox, Dean Logan and Rosie Stancliffe.
It is a development of a play first performed at Live Theatre in 2014, How Did I Get to This Point?, which was written by Pritchard, Allison Davies and Pip Chamberlin in response to Live’s production of Paddy Campbell’s Wet House.
It will be accompanied by a short play written and directed by Steve Byron, Wrong Place, Wrong Time.
There is only so long you can poke a monkey with a stick before it grabs it off you and beats you with it. Nicky is a gentle soul in a savage jungle trying to survive, and looking for acceptance within the right tribe.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time will be performed by Paula Penman.
How Did We Get To This Point? and Wrong Place, Wrong Time will run from 6 to 10 December.