Drama, dance, music, poetry in live festival championing new work at Sheffield Crucible Theatre

The festival of dance, drama, poetry and music and is part of Sheffield Theatres’ initiative to champion new work.

Award-winning actor Ray Castleton stars in a monologue entitled Without Malice or Will, which will be staged tonight (May 25). Ray won best male actor award at the Buxton Festival Fringe in 2019 for his role in this play which focuses on a retired police officer looking back over his life which included becoming a miner at 16.

Eva Scott presents A Big Ol’ Laugh, a one-person show based on Eva’s experiences of being a big(ger?) woman in the entertainment industry. She pays homage to big funny women of the past: Tessie O’Shea, Hattie Jacques and Victoria Wood who broke the mould and let out the seams. A Big Ol’ Laugh is at the Crucible on May 26.

Nadia Emam, Heather Fenoughty and John Hunter present Monster Proof. A Godzilla-scale animal is stomping through the city, yet firefighter Verity can’t convince eccentric exec Carol that there is a monster out there and she should evacuate her penthouse. The comedy-drama anthology, performed as ‘live radio’ will be staged on May 27.

Kafayat Adegoke presents the one-woman show PER-SO-NA, which discusses the clashing identities of what it means to be a not-so-typical Yorùba Nigerian girl: tough, vulnerable, traditional and Queer. PER-SO-NA is at the Crucible on May 28.

Anna Soden brings Five Children and It to the festival on May 29, using music, story-telling and puppetry in a show adapted from E. Nesbit’s children’s novel.

The Ballad of Mulan is based on the real story of the warrior who disguised as a man to fight for the Chinese Empire. Catch the play at the Crucible on May 30.

Stories and poems about club trips, weddings and balaclavas will be aired by Lee Pollard in his presentation Hiding from Wobbly Boband Other Stories on June 1.

A stark warning of the consequence of the inappropriate use of flammable wood preservatives including creosote is hammered home in Set Fire to Your Friends, running at the Crucible on June 2.

Rebecca Solomon will dive into a world of aerial theatre and puppetry in Second-Hand Child which explores the struggles of being a woman of colour and an adoptee. Second-Hand Child will be hosted at the Crucible on June 2.

The healing power of the arts is examined by Sarah Jay Hawley in her 4D audio-visual creation, Zen, Drugs ‘n’ Rock ‘n’ Roll on June 3. This modern opera highlights the Sarah Jay’s recovery from a stroke and cancer.

Screwdriver presents an honest look at life for women on both sides of the prison bars and will be staged on June 3.

Hip-hop, street dance, interactive projection and poetry combine in Trust in Care, which runs at the Crucible on June 4. This is a story of two siblings trying to navigate their way through the care system.

Sheffield’s rap poet Otis Mensah brings to the stage jazz-infused songs, ‘rap hymns’ and poetic workings in a presentation on June 5 entitled Existed Once.

Tickets are £15 for each show from www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

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