Cardboard Citizens, the homeless people’s theatre company, is visiting hostels all over London this Autumn, with a new Forum Theatre play, Led Easy by David Watson (children’s BAFTA winner in 2008) directed by Emma Bernard.

Led Easy presents three characters led astray by figures from their past, present and future: Leo, a teenager whose friend Switchy offers danger, excitement and a life beyond the rules…Emma, who volunteers at a day centre for the homeless, struggling with the systems of cynicism and bureaucracy around her… Eve, fresh out of prison, who wants to make a fresh start and re-connect with her child but the temptations of her old crowd loom large…

After the performances, these short plays are also used as the basis for the Forum Theatre methodology, developed by the great Brazilian theatre practitioner and theorist, Augusto Boal. Forum Theatre allows audience members to join the actors on stage and experiment with solutions to the issues encountered by the characters. The performances are also an opportunity for Cardboard Citizens to encourage audience members to join their performing arts workshops, engage with their support staff and move their lives on through gaining more stable housing, jobs, education or training.

“For me theatre was associated with Shakespeare, I just didn’t relate to that. This play grabbed my attention because it was made from true life stories, and the interactive forum really grabbed me.”
(D, hostel resident, 2008)

Cardboard Citizens have toured over 500 Forum Theatre shows, performed by ex-homeless actors, in London’s hostels and day centres for the past 10 years, to audiences of over 10,000 homeless people. The cast of Led Easy includes Jo Allitt, Ian S. Kalman, Jennifer Lewin, Terry O’Leary and Andre Skeete, all of whom have direct experience of homelessness.

Showcase Performances:

Toynbee Studios 28 Commercial Street, London E1 6AB
Monday 16 November, 3pm & 7.30pm
Tuesday 17 November, 3pm & 7.30pm
Tickets are £5 / £1 for those with experience of homelessness.

More Information: http://cardboardcitizens.org.uk/p2s16.html
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