** Image: Loulou D’Aki.

Of Our Own Making
It takes a village to radicalise a child.

Set against the Syrian refugee crisis…
Meet Parsifal, a lost and lonely boy, slowly groomed and recruited online.
Meet Amira, a mother crossing the Med, with Hussan, Saif and her baby
Meet Saif, a man on the run.
Meet Hussan, a man travelling into Europe from… who knows where?
Meet Micky, a tabloid cub reporter looking for dirt on refugees.
Let them meet each other and their fate.
The clock is ticking.  The targets are set.

Watch Our London Live TV News Interview Here

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 
“Deeply touching – few pieces of theatre which can deliver such a big story in such an intimate way”   Theatre Weekly
★ ★ ★ ★ 
“Sophisticated and compelling theatre.”
Everything Theatre

“Cinematic Scope & Thriller-like swiftness”
The Stage.

            

    Natali Servat                          Erin Elkin                  Jonathan Brown

     

Vincent Kerschbaum                  Hamza Siddique 

 

Parsifal is a child.
Lonely, rejected, let down, bullied.
Now, groomed & recruited online, with an implanted vision of masculinity,
he is a ticking bomb, set by his handlers to go off in a city near you.
Can he be diffused before it’s too late?

Performs Tara Arts, London Jan 30 – Feb 16 2019.

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“…”Really great, thank you so much.
The story was really compelling, Saif and Hussan’s characters were especially strong, their performances felt very human. Hussan’s monologue upon meeting Saif was excellent.
Use of scenery was great, particularly the scaffold , this was effectively transformed for each scene.
The interchanges between interview room and the story…drew the audience in well  …an amazing achievement after only two days of rehearsing. Honestly I would have guessed you had been working on it for far longer. I would love to come and see the show again, I’m excited to see where you take it from here. Congratulations again to the whole company.”
Nicci James, Showcase, Bracknell. 

 

“I just returned from South Hill Park and felt the need to email. The acting was superb, astounding to hear such little rehearsal time. Saif was brilliant, believeable and so moving. I am blown away at the perfect performances given.
The effort from the actors just astounds me. Just a big thank you!”
Sara. Showcase, Bracknell.

 

2nd de-radicalisation scene (Adam Sabatti & Jonathan Brown)

 

Production Images by Peter Williams.
Showcase footage thanks to Daniel Stevens 

Of Our Own Making Project Workshops

As part of the OOOM Project, Something Underground  has been working with boys (12-16) in the Wandsworth Area..
A group of boys has been attending workshops and rehearsals on 5 full Saturdays Dec 2018-Jan 2019 with Artistic Dir Jonathan Brown, ABOB leader Mark Nightingale, Movement Director (Helen Parlor) and Actors from the cast.
Within these workshops, the participants  play with the themes of the play (particularly online safety & grooming) and, with Helen Parlor, devising a physical theatre / dance portrayal of the grooming aspects of the play which has been in our production @ Tara Arts 30 Jan-16 Feb.
This performance of the boys and the cast together occurred on 9th Feb during the matinee to a full house. 

 


Here’s a video of some of the work 

                   

A big thank you to:

  South hill Park, Bracknell for hosting our June 2017 Showcase.

 All the actors in our 2017 Showcase: Adam Sabatti, Cathy Conneff, Natali Servat, Rasfan Haval (and JB)

All our Crowdfunder contributors Julie Yates, Dave Molz​, Peter Smith​, David Mowat,
Andrew Miller,​ Philip Ayckbourn, Amanda Bolt,  Bridget Walker, Lisa Blundell, Claire Dalkin, Saoirse Callanan and Anonymous.  THANK YOU ALL

Makers Unite
convert refugee enthusiasm and discarded life jackets into… products. They’ve donated to us (for our “F*cking Foreigners” Showcase) 5 life jackets and we’re very (very) grateful! THANKS Makers Unite.
http://makersunite.eu

All involved in our Rehearsed reading of the play 18th November 2016, Lewes : Lucas Augustine, Amanda Bolt, Tom Bonham, Jonathan Brown, Kristina Howell, Fabio Leone, and support from David Stephens, Anna Hawkes,

All involved in our funding bids to Arts Council: 
Ken Parry @ A Bigger Bucket for consultation and advice.
Jonathan Kennedy @ Tara Arts for consultation, advice and booking OOOM at Tara.
Mark Nightingale @ A Band of Brothers
Dirk Campbell (Musician) for in kind offers
Esther Clevely @ Providence House, Wandsworth (Youth Outreach Help)
Louise @ STORM empowerment, Wandsworth (Youth Outreach Help)
Izzy Archer @ St Peters, Wandsworth (Youth Outreach Help)
George Turner @ Carney’s Community, Wandsworth (Youth Outreach Help)
Steve Uragallo @ London Tower Services (scaffold tower) for in kind offer.
Louise Rowe @ Brighton YOT, for partnership and advice.
Jonathan Cullen for real financial backing.
All who’ve applied to perform in the play.

 

Top Picture:
17-year Omar from Syria arrived at Skala beach in Lesvos with clothes dripping wet.
He says: ’ I came here because I have diabetes and need a doctor.’