From tiny seeds

Our Embryonic? performances on Friday were a huge success.  Twenty five young people - some from our youth theatre groups, others selected specially by their schools - joined us at the Biochemical Society to rehearse and present the four new plays written by professional playwrights.  Each one dealt with themes and ideas surrounding stem cell research and they included a play about mice taking over the world and one in which an elderly sick man battled his religious beliefs when faced with an embryonic stem cell cure.

Photos from the shows are now online - see them in our production photo gallery.

Following the success of the mini-project, we're hoping to develop the idea further with a full production of a play inspired by the issues surrounding stem cell research in 2011.  This will be our second major collaborative project with the Biochemical Society.

Meanwhile, our first project, Hive 9 by Ali Taylor, begins its week long residency at the University of Worcester today, where it will be seen by over 700 people.  Throughout the week, the cast - Suzie Macgrath and Okorie Chukwu - and the Assistant Director, Emily Kempson, will be blogging on their experiences - you can read the blog here.

Embryonic performances today

Embryonic? project performances take place today at the Biochemical Society's Charles Darwin House. 

The four pieces, written by Joy Wilkinson, Hassan Abdulrazzak, Maxine Quintyne-Kolaru and Tim Cowbury will be performed by members of our youth theatre and directed by young people.

The showings take place at 4pm at Charles Darwin House in Holborn.

Hive 9 back on the road

Hive 9, our play about life, evolution and climbing tower blocks, is back in rehearsal this week ahead of a five day run at the University of Worcester. 

Ali Taylor's play, our first collaboration with the Biochemical Society, will be performed by Okorie Chukwu and Suzie McGrath - both of whom helped to create the show with a group of young people in August 2009.

John Newbury from the University of Worcester, and also the Chair of the Biochemical Society's Education committee, is delighted to have been able to give the play new life.  He said:

"The Biochemical Society is very proud of Hive 9 and the hard work of all of those involved in its production. It's a brilliant example of how science and the arts can work together to create a new way of engaging young people in a fundamental scientific concept.  We are now taking the opportunity to perform the play in locations outside London and the University of Worcester is helping us to interact with youngsters in Worcestershire."

Hive 9 will be performed at the University of Worcester from 7 - 11 June, followed by a short nationwide tour in September.  We'll be blogging about the performances all week.

If you're interested in hosting performances of the play, please contact us.