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A Place for We

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  4w, 7m

Archie Maddocks

A pub. A funeral parlour. An urban-zen enoteca and conscious eatery. One building in Brixton tells the story of London’s changing communities over three very different generations.

A Place for We

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 7m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: 2022 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre

Details

Summary

“There’s five generations of tradition in these walls.”

A pub. A funeral parlour. An urban-zen enoteca and conscious eatery. One building in Brixton tells the story of London’s changing communities over three very different generations.

Trinidadian funeral director Clarence and fifth-generation pub owner George don’t want things to change. But everything around them is changing. Do they adapt to survive? Or stay true to their roots and risk it all… family, tradition, business?

In the wake of the Windrush scandal, Archie Maddocks’ bittersweet comedy holds a mirror up to the ever-changing face of London’s communities in search of their common beating heart.

A Place for We was shortlisted in 2017 for both the Bruntwood Prize and Alfred Fagon Award. It was first performed as a staged reading at Talawa Firsts 2018, and the world premiere was directed by Talawa’s Artistic Director Michael Buffong.

History
A Place for We premiered at Park Theatre, London on 7 October 2021 as a co-production with Talawa Theatre Company. Directed by Michael Buffong, the production featured Harold Addo, Blake Harrison, Joanna Horton, Kirsty Oswald, Laurence Ubong Williams and David Webber.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
CLARENCE JAMES – Defiant. 60s. Black.
KERON JAMES – Lost pessimist. Late 20s/early 30s. Mixed Race.
TASHA – Sharp as a tack, but has no idea – an optimist. Late 20s. White.
VIOLET – Nervous of offending. 30s.
AUSTIN – Overconfident, newly enlightened. 30s.
GEORGE O’DRISCOLL – Bullish. A pub philosopher. Late 30s.
ANNA O’DRISCOLL – End of her tether. A realist. 30s.
ELMORN JAMES – Proud, forthright. 40s.
YOUNG CLARENCE JAMES – Shy and unsure. 13.
ESME – Middle Class, knows it. Late 20s.
ANGUS – Middle Class, doesn’t know it. 30s.
  • Time Period New Millennium/21st Century, 1990s, 1980s, 1970s
  • Setting A building in Brixton, 1971-2021.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“A moving portrait of the ever-evolving face of London.” – The Guardian

“A Place For We is therefore less about solely damning gentrification and more concerned with conveying that change is an irrevocable part of life... A Place For We was shortlisted back in 2017 for the Bruntwood Prize and Alfred Fagon Award but rest assured, it has been worth the wait.” – WhatsOnStage

“This ambitious comedy drama about gentrification, tradition and identity shows that the stand-up and playwright Archie Maddocks is a writer of real promise.” – The Times

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

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Authors

Archie Maddocks

Archie Maddocks

Archie Maddocks is an emerging screenwriter and playwright. His work has been produced at the Bush Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, Orange Tree Theatre, Royal Court, and in New York at the New Light Theatre. Archie’s play A Place for We was shortlisted for the Bruntwood Prize from ...

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