Bertolt Brecht: THE BREADSHOP

BREADSHOP is a dramatic fragment by Bertolt Brecht, which hasn't been shown in the UK since the 1980s. Written at the time of the 1929 stock-market crash, it investigates how during financial crisis, economic pressures cascade down the ranks of society, hitting hardest those at the bottom. The play’s themes —the dehumanising effects of capitalism, unemployment and socio-economic inequality— ring especially true in our current society, under the iron fist of ongoing austerity, the housing crisis, the gig economy and the recent pandemic pressures on economic survival.

In this R&D showing, we will present some of the core scene material revolving around the eviction of a single mother with 5 children. The performance will be the culmination of a 7-day workshop and the sequel to a longer Breadshop zoom dramaturgy lab run by theatre director Phoebe von Held over the winter months.

The showing is devised by a collective of young actors and theatre-makers, entering the project with varying levels of experience, some at the start of their training and some working already at a professional level. The project is produced by Phoebe von Held, in collaboration with Fani Arampatzidou. It will be performed outdoors in a site-specific setting in the backyard of E5 Bakehouse near London Fields. The highly crafted text —heavily shaped through poetic and musical devices as well as through its anarchic slapstick humour— is based on a new translation by Marc Silberman and Victoria Hill, The Bread Store (Bloomsbury, 2019).

Further project details, see here.

Cast: Daniel Cawley, Patrick Gregan, Gael Mfula, Vankshita Mishra, Daniel Ooko, Kate Reed, Daisy Shrimpton, Amber Williams, Blessing Yakubu.

Creative and producing team: Director/Producer: Phoebe von Held; Co-producer/Acting coach: Fani Arampatzidou; Movement Director: Stephanie Burrell; Director’s Assistant: Isabela Palancean; Casting: Irene East; Literary Advisor/Co-producer: Tom Kuhn. Video-documentation/poster: Vankshita Mishra.

Booking: Please remember to only book from one account for each household/bubble so we can seat you next to one another.

Arrival at the venue: Entry to the venue is through the gates to the backyard right by London Fields Overground Station and 396 Martello Terrace - NOT through the main entrance of E5 Bakehouse on Mentmore Terrace. The venue is wheel-chair accessible. There are no toilets in the yard itself, but public toilets are available in close proximity at London Fields Park.

Duration: 50 minutes.

Sponsorship: The workshop and showings have been made possible through generous support by E5 Bakehouse, Raven Row Gallery, and The Per Seed Fund, Oxford University.

The event follows government guidance of Covid-19 safety regulations for the performing arts. Relevant instructions for your arrival will be sent by email in advance of the showings.