HOME Manchester has announced an exciting new season for its Theatre 2 space - a season that reflects, questions and humors the world we live in.
The programme includes returning artists, those new to the stages of HOME and Manchester, and some from the Edinburgh Fringe.
The season combines everything from drama to stand-up comedy, starting (March 24-April 6) with Of All the Beautiful Things in the World. Written and directed by Yusra Warsama, this adaptation of Lorca's House of Bernarda Alba is set in a rainy Manchester in which there's a clear culture clash between Asian-born mum and her British-raised daughters.
If You Fall (Ad Infinitum Theatre, May 3-13) tells the deeply human stories of older people, their families and carers as they struggle to approach end-of-life care with dignity. Margaret is a nationally-revered academic, Norson a brilliant cook. Their lives are full. So what happens when you lose your independence, your voice, your mind – the essence of what makes you, you?
Fifth Word and New Perspectives follow (May 17-20) with an adaptation of Noviolet Bulaweyo's book We Need New Names. Mufaro Makubika's adaptation follows 10-year-old Darling, who moves from Zimbabwe to Michigan and encounters an entirely different, less magical playground.
Noviolet Bulawayo was the first Black African woman and first Zimbabwean to be Booker Prize-shortlisted.
Rinkoo Barpaga and Deaf Explorer's Made In India Britain (May 23-25) – Winner of the Deaf Excellence Award at the Neurodiverse Review Awards - tells the story of Roo, a deaf Punjabi boy from Birmingham, living in a world that wasn’t made for him. Roo narrates the impact of ableism and racism throughout his childhood and adult life, leading him to confront one key question: “Where do I belong?” in this coming-of-age story about discovering your community.
Action Hero and Deborah Pearson presents The Talent (May 31-June 1), a new show about the legacy of the human voice in a non-human future. A woman in a soundbooth skilfully conjures up the right voice for any kind of message - but is her humanity being left behind?
For half term (June 3 only), The Hero Next Door is a ground-breaking new production created for 7 to 10-year-olds celebrating difference, friendship and working together to do the right thing. Musa, a refugee; Haley, an autistic girl who adores frogs, and a would-be bully named Melody come together to save an elderly neighbour from a con-woman posing as a carer, with hilarious results.
In YESYESNONO's We Were Promised Honey! (June 7-10), a lone performer tells the story of the future of the audience; what’s going to happen to them in the decades,
centuries, millenia after the end of this show. It's a hopeful, hopeless prophecy for earth and humankind.
Jo Fong and George Orange presents The Rest of Our Lives (June 13-14), a joyful dose of dance, theatre, circus and games. Jo is an elderly dancer, George an elderly clown. They are international artists with 100 years of life experience between them, and with a soundtrack of floor-fillers and a sprinkling of eco-friendly optimism. Joyfulness and celebration they share their lives and hilarious stories.
In the final show of the season, Jenni Jackson and HOME present Endurance (June 22-24), a blend of dance, theatre and an attempt at a sports spectacle. Endurance looks at how we endure, why we endure, and how women can make their innate propensity for endurance work in their favour to tip the balance of power.
The season also features stand up comedy from Tiff Stevenson, Alasdair Beckett-King and Schalk Bezuidenhout and short-online films from Hot Coals Productions.
HOME director Dave Moutrey said: "This season platforms a variety of stories and voices, echoing HOME’s ambition to create a place for audiences to experience theatre and performance that reflects the world around us. Theatre 2 is a playful space that allows us to work with talented artists and partners across the North West and beyond to share challenging and entertaining new work."
Full season and info here