Theatre Peckham will launch the first Peckham Fringe Festival this spring.
For five weeks starting on 2 May, 27 external companies will take over the main theatre and studio spaces Theatre Peckham offers. The programme contains a mix of theatre, spoken word and comedy, and performances explore several important themes and issues.
The festival line-up includes No ID, which uses live music to tell the story of a transgender immigrant in the UK. Theatre Peckham’s Resident Company’s Anybody of Water, will explore the challenges of mental health and contemporary living, and PISS AND BILE is a story about two women who work in the service industry.
The programme also features Sunny Side Up, an exploration of how environments can shape young Black boys’ masculinity. It’s Not Rocket Science is inspired by interviews with more than 20 female aerospace professionals. Can I Call You Back? is a coming-of-age comedy exploring visible auto-immune disorders, female body image and grief. In The Great Barbecue, Anansi tries to save the African spirit so future generations do not forget their roots.
Fringe Features, a series of events organised by the theatre, will also take place as part of the festival. These include A New Writing Scratch Night, Black Musical Theatre Night, Comedy Night, Music Night, and an In Conversation with.
Phillippe Cato, associate director at Theatre Peckham, said: “I was very intentional in programming a festival that feels representative of Southwark, including more global majority and queer work, and provides offers to engage more audiences across multiple age groups. I’m thrilled that there’s such a variety on offer and can’t wait to welcome audiences, new and existing, to the building to experience it all soon.”
Suzann McLean, artistic director and CEO of Theatre Peckham, said: “I am blown away by the fantastic, multidisciplinary, intergenerational, intersectionality of this festival. From African Myth to South American theatre through food to the Moon and back again, Peckham Fringe celebrates the UK’s cultural communities and champions them centre-stage.”
Family-owned estate agent Gareth James is sponsoring Peckham Fringe. Since 1994, the estate agent has served Peckham and surrounding areas.
The full line-up can be found on Theatre Peckham’s website. Tickets are on sale for between £5 and £15.
Words by Solape Alatise
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