Last Friday, we were given the opportunity to attend an informal preview of a brand new show coming to mac: ‘Hard Knock Life’ a contemporary re telling of the classic ‘Annie’. Hard Knock life is an original piece of Children’s and families theatre exploring alternative families’ and internet safety for children. Bringing the show to life are the 1st Year Applied Performance Students at the Birmingham School of Acting.
First thing’s first… Wow! What an amazing and exciting experience it was to see a preview of Hard Knock Life! The show fuses together so many different art forms! Including Spoken Word, Dance, Physical Theatre, Singing and Storytelling.
During the preview we had the chance to talk to the Ensemble and Director of the show to find out a little more about what audiences can expect when they come see the show, as well as how the cast are finding the rehearsal process, you can read their thoughts, and more on what we thought below!
Director Hannah Phillips says that: ‘Hard Knock Life explores alternative families, what society perceives as family and internet safeguarding for children’.
And now for our cast interviews:
Question 1: What are you enjoying about the creative process?
‘I love the way in which the ensemble works, working in collaboration with everyone is brilliant, we’re all pushing each other to get the best material we can’
‘I’m enjoying the constant sense of learning, finding new skills, and harnessing current ones and having the creative freedom (within context) is so liberating.’
Question 2: What is Hard Knock Life about?
‘I think for me the moral of the story is no struggle is too big, and that there isn’t such a thing as a normal family’
‘Hard Knock life looks to explore the impact that fostering a child can have on a families current children and again exploring that a ‘normal family’ doesn’t exist’
Question 3: How do you think the performances for schools will differ to an evening audience?
‘Hard Knock Life covers a wide variety of sensitive topics, as such it is important for us as an ensemble to make sure that our material is subject sensitive, whilst at the same time making it relatable to our school audiences’
‘Having the opportunity to interact with school children is a brand new experience for me, I’m looking forward to bouncing of their energy’
‘I’m anticipating some really high energy levels from our schools audiences! As such we need to make sure that we make a safe environment for them, whilst also making an impact.’
‘It’s going to be manic! But within that there is opportunity to bounce of our audiences energy, it really is going to be a privilege’
Hard Knock life is being performed exclusively at mac on the 25th, 26th and 27th of June, tickets are selling fast so book now!
Come back to this page in the coming weeks for more on ‘Hard Knock Life’ and for more previews, reviews, what’s’ on and more! Check back, with Bsaatmac
Thanks for reading everyone
Best Wishes
Andy and Amelia
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Bsaatmac 