Birmingham-based company, Paperback Theatre are holding an exciting and varied outdoor festival, Little But LIVE! In Moseley Parkto safely bring together Moseley residents and the wider Birmingham community through a programme of artistic events from the 18thto 20th September.
Taking place in Moseley Park and Pooland supported by Moseley Together, this two and half-day festival will feature a varied programme of events all housed in the beautiful Chapel of Many, a unique performance space designed by Coventry University lecturer Sebastian Hicks,with the aim of bringing the community together, showcasing the creative talent Birmingham has to offer and reminding audiences of the value of live performance.From architect Sebastian Hicks, the Chapel of Many is a space of non-denominative gathering that was used for Coventry’s #RefugeeWeek 2019in the impressive ruins of the city’s cathedral.
The walls of this ingenious structure fold down to form a unique place of exchange and communication with bespoke chairs.The programme includes Paperback Theatre’s own production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Lucy Bird, as well as musical concerts from jazz duo One Voice, One Cello & A Mad Belgian and the West Midlands’ own vocal harmony group The Violettes. Hosts of a regular Birmingham city centre comedy night, The Kamikaze Clubare curating a night of comedy as well as Giggle on the Green,an hour of the brightest young female stand-up comedians.
Birmingham has to offer. Box of Frogs are bringing their anarchic and silly improv show and each morning is being kicked off with a drum and bass aerobics work-out from DubNBounce.
More events are still to be announced, details for all events, including timings, can be found at paperbacktheatre.com/littlebutliveAll tickets for every event will be £5.00to ensure that the festival remains as accessible to audiences as possible with everybody feeling the pinch since the start of the Covid-19 crisis earlier in the year.
The festival team is made up of four creative freelancers who have lost out on work as a result of Covid-19 and are volunteering their time towards delivering some cultural provision to the people of Moseley and south Birmingham. Romeo and Juliet The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us all of the importance of community support, but it also has inspired the Paperback Theatre team to comically reinterpret old favourites for our post-COVID world.
Naturally a production of Romeo and Julietwill be a draw for many -admirers of Shakespeare, fans of its tragic story or couples relating to the pangs oflong-distance love after months in social isolation. But it also aims to spark the imagination of children who have missed enjoying the work of Shakespeare with its place on the GCSE English curriculum. The twist for newcomers and long-time fans of the classic tragedy is the production’s efforts to weave social distancing guidance, masks and gloves into the fabric of the performance.Social distancing ultimately reflects the play’s themes about forbidden intimacy and being kept away from those you love.
All tickets can be found at www.paperbacktheatre.com/littlebutlive