Link: https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/future-voices
Available until: Unknown
I do like a bit of murder. Not personally, no-one’s actually murdered me yet, though I think a few people have thought about it. Not in a bad way. Just an ‘Aashiq is so annoying’ way. But on a psychological level, the subject is really fascinating. There are so many different types of murder and reasons for murder and so many different ways of telling the stories.
By Aashiq
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hENM4sMGZbU
Available until: Unknown
Just a reminder that Future Voices is a series of plays written by young people. I don't give star ratings because I don't want to compare them with the other Future Voices plays. But the standard of writing is very high and if I did give stars, they would compare very favourably to plays by professional writers.
Babylon is set in a strange world. Rules are different. Names are different. There are two characters. One of them seems to have some understanding of what’s going on. The other has questions and wants to understand more about the world she lives in.
By Aashiq
Link: https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/future-voices
Available until: Unknown
On a surface level, this is an
enjoyable play which a lot of people can identify with. Although it is about
adolescents taking exams and we tend not to do that anymore after we finish our
education, I’m sure it’s something everyone from (currently) Year 13 and older
remembers and there are other aspects of the play that don’t go away just
because we’re grown up.
By Aashiq
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niM7VCUePus
Available until: Unknown
This is another really incredible play
from a young writer. It’s hard to know what to say about it. It feels like writer
Kieran Anderson has taken away my ability to speak and nobody does that. Plenty
of people wish they could, but not many people manage it.
By Aashiq
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUXxHealWI8
Available until: Unknown
It’s horrible being a teenager sometimes. I should know. I
still feel like a teenager in my head. But some people have more than just the
normal teen problems.
By Aashiq
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnzPUmVAYzM
Available until: Unknown
In case you’re wondering, the full
stop in the title is supposed to be there. It’s used consistently and I think
it’s an emphasis thing. I don’t think it’s possible to use italics and
underlining on youtube. I’ve never seen it, anyway. And we all know what CAPITAL
LETTERS mean.
By Aashiq
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YNEteIsF8o
Available until: Unknown
I might as well give up now. Seriously, Mia Adeboye is a
teenager and they're a much better writer than me (most Mias are girls but they can be boys too so I'll go with 'they'). I am so glad I had the
opportunity to watch this.
It has everything. On the surface, it’s a story about
pigeons. The ones who live in London already. The new pigeons who move in
(there’s a brilliant joke about that which I won’t give away, even though I’m
absolutely dying to and I just woke my husband up to tell him. I don’t think he
understood and he actually looked a bit cross, but it is a good joke. I just
think maybe you need to be properly awake? I’ll tell him again tomorrow). But the
pigeons are just what’s on the surface. This play has a deeper meaning and it’s
so clever.
By Aashiq
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaV2TOAyeog&feature=emb_logo
Available until: Unknown
These students are so talented! I could almost have a fit of
jealousy and refuse not to review anymore, but I’m trying to be more mature and
I don’t think that would really qualify.
For Us is written by Funke Telefusi. It’s the story
of a sixteen year old girl called Elizabeth. Elizabeth lives with her mother,
who is dealing with her very difficult past (which I’m not going to tell you
about – you’ll have to watch it and see!). Elizabeth feels unhappy and
uncomfortable and unable to cope. So she reaches out for help.
By Aashiq
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6qkQhiQf8
Available until: Unknown
Future Voices is an annual project run by Southwark Playhouse.
Playwrights spend eight months working with students aged 14-18, with the aim
of each student writing a short play. Usually, these plays are performed at the
Southwark Playhouse. This year, a certain virus had other ideas so the actors
filmed the plays at home, using Zoom and iPhones. The plays have been put on
youtube and on the Southwark Playhouse website (and I’m sure the last thing
they want is some actor/writer giving his opinion, but you just can’t shut me
up sometimes).
This first play is by Aimee Brown. The central character is
Francesca Rosa Brown, played by Jessica Hardwick. She’s at the local library
and she has a job to do. The lovely librarian (Eva Fontaine) wants to keep the
library quiet so everyone can concentrate, but that’s not always possible when
Francesca is there.
