"This is idiocy. This is ignorance. 

You may as well claim that the earth is flat.

Or you believe in men from Mars.

Has everyone here gone stupid or something?"

HIVE 9 is a brand new play commissioned by the Biochemical Society and created by young people and the playwright Ali Taylor. 

 Performed by two professional actors, Hive 9 is a bold, exciting piece exploring Darwin's theories through the eyes of young people in Islington.   It examines evolution, identity, time and coincidence; using science labs in 4 Islington schools as the setting for a dynamic theatrical debate about who we are, where we came from and where we're going next.

 The play has been created through a series of collaborative workshops involving young people from across Islington, theatre professionals and scientists.  It toured schools during the last two weeks of October.

Ali Taylor's script is being made available to science and drama departments in schools across the country.  We hope that many will use it as an opportunity to collaborate across disciplines.

Our pilot tour of Hive 9 has now finished and the play is being performed on an ad hoc basis in schools across London.  If you are interested in hosting a performance, please contact us.

Creative Team

ALI TAYLOR (Writer)

Ali's play for theatre include A Little Neck (Goat & Monkey, Hampton Court Palace), Overspill (Soho Theatre & winner of Metamorphosis08 at Churchill Theatre Bromley), Cotton Wool (Theatre503), Porcelain (Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Workers Writes Festival).

Ali was a delegate at Interplay Europe 2002, an international festival for young playwrights in Hungary and tutor at Interplay Europe 2004 in Athens.

NED GLASIER (Director)

Ned is the Director of Islington Community Theatre.  He recently directed Success with Islington Youth Theatre which was performed on the Olivier Stage at the National Theatre.  Other recent work includes numerous community productions and projects for the Almeida Theatre, two plays for Company of Angels and You Me Us for Pyramid Theatre. 

OKORIE CHUKWU (Actor)

Okorie has recently finished a three year Ba course in Acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Prior to his training he played Addie in One Shot and Dj Slammer in Sex Fm which both toured schools in North London. He also appeared as Grant in a rehearsed reading for the 2007 Kings Cross New Writing Award winning play Leonardo Stole My Crayon (Courtyard Theatre) At Mountview he performed in Twelfth Night, Marat/Sade and Love Play. Okorie has recently performed in the ‘24 Hour Plays: Old Vic New Voices’ at the Old Vic.

SUZIE MCGRATH (Actor)

Suzie trained at East 15 Acting School. Theatre credits include: When Cheryl Was Brassic (Nabokov), Crazy Love (Paines Plough & Oran Mor), Tracy Beaker Gets Real (Nottingham Playhouse). Television Includes: Eastenders.

DALE BANCROFT (Science Advisor)

Dale Bancroft is a student studying Biochemistry with Science Communication at Royal Holloway, University of London. When not lost in obscure science websites, Dale enjoys swimming, enjoying bad movies, and generally always keeping occupied.

BEN STOREY (Science Advisor)

Ben Storey is a student reading Physics with Science Communication at Royal Holloway, University of London. When not having to contemplate the origins of the universe, Ben can be found trying to scrape the pennies together to explore a small part of it.

 Workshop Development Team

Back: Ali Taylor, Daniel O'Keefe, Ben Storey, Okorie Chukwu, Catalina Zulliani, Maryam Shofowara, Nickcolia King-N'da, Jake Head, Aisha Issahaku-Alonja, Beck Smith, Dale Bancroft

Middle: Mollie Keen, Eliza Shea, Suzie McGrath, Hauk Pattison, Ned Glasier

Front: Robert Ristic, Naomi Ackie, Hayley Thomas, Diego Alejandro

Not pictured: Shanice Stennett