Theatre / preview
Multi-award-winning play of youth, friendship, violence and survival comes to The Weston Studio
When it debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe, multi award-winning director, writer and producer Sam Edmunds’ play The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return sold out its run, earning a slew of five-star reviews in the process.
Now, the Chalk Line Theatre production is on a UK tour, and will be arriving at The Weston Studio on July 15 for a five-night, six-show run.
Following the story of two best friends, the play takes place over the course of one chaotic night in Luton, where Edmunds himself grew up.
is needed now More than ever
Set against the backdrop of austerity, in the wake of the 2008 financial crash, and underscored by a soundtrack of noughties bangers, young people are chasing the highs of coming-of-age against a “tapestry of restlessness”; a socio-economically deprived area in which challenging circumstances have let them down.
“I wanted to write a play to deal with the enormity and epic-ness of what it means to grow up in an impoverished community surrounded by violence”, explains Edmunds.
“This play is ultimately a reflection of my upbringing in Luton, but also about the town’s history and people. It wants to celebrate them as well as highlight the realities they live in.
“I was inspired to write a story which speaks to the restlessness of the working classes who are constantly repressed by our government, how easily young people can be pulled into violence and how we become a product of an environment built to suffocate us.”
In writing the play, Edmunds drew on his own experience, as well as conversations with multiple young people in Luton who have been directly impacted by the threat or consequences of knife violence.
Alongside the show, Chalk Line will deliver a national impact programme on knife crime intervention, supported by the Ben Kinsella Trust, with the hope of reaching thousands of young people across the UK.
The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return is at The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic on July 15-19 at 8pm, with an additional 3pm matinee show on Saturday. Tickets are available at www.bristololdvic.org.uk.
All photos: Harry Elletson
Read next:
- Review: Deposit/Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again, The Weston Studio – ‘A cracking evening of theatre’
- Review: The House Party, Bristol Old Vic – ‘An exciting, vibrant and fizzing play with a curiously unsatisfying finale’
- Review: Cheeky Little Brown, The Weston Studio – ‘A vibrant, energising coming-of-age anti-romcom’
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