Pressure Drop - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Growing up in Hackney in the 90s exposed me to a vibrant mix of cultures: The Gayhurst primary school carnival where we were all dressed as planets (I was Jupiter); my first taste of ackee and saltfish from Peppers and Spice; a Bengali dance class in the community hall; and my Turkish peers playing Saz at the Stoke Newington festival to name a few. I’m very grateful to have grown up here. My journey as a writer and arts practitioner has existed alongside my 14-year career as a youth worker across Hackney, Tower Hamlets, and Islington youth provisions. It meant a great deal to come back to Hackney to work on a play with young people from the borough, for the borough (and beyond). My passion for young people is equal to my passion for the creative arts, and Pressure Drop is very much a joining of the two. Through workshops with local youth groups and R&D with Immediate Theatre, we explored young people’s aspirations, joys, fears, relationships, and experiences of growing up. I wanted to capture the importance of connection and friendship at that age, whilst tackling some of the serious challenges and issues young people have to navigate. Young people’s response to the play was crucial throughout the writing process, with a full read through of the first draft with Immediate Theatre’s young actors, and further development of the script after the first school tour. A huge thank you to the Immediate Theatre young people who opened their hearts and minds and gave me the seed with which to grow Michael, Daniel, Mya, and Jayden. To the inspiring young actors who brought those characters off the page and breathed life into them. And to all the young people I have had the honour of working with throughout my journey, thank you for being part of my story - this play is for you.