Rub Out was a research project exploring how Little Fish can develop more morally intricate stories that accurately reflect the complex lives of young people.   Written by Alex Cooke.  Directed by Alex Cooke and Suha Al-Khayyat.  Funded by Arts Council England.

‘All About It’ explored how young people perpetrate and respond to unwanted sexual attention in unbalanced power relationships where grooming is taking place. Written by Rachael McGill.  Directed by Suha Al-Khayyat and Alex Cooke. Funded by Arts Council England.

Jaded explored the impact of domestic abuse through family generations. The play was based on the experiences, opinions and ideas of young people in South London, collected through workshops and social media. Written by Suha Al-Khayyat.  Directed by Suha Al-Khayyat & Alex Cooke.  Designed by Sarah Mills.  Funded by Arts Council England.

‘RE silience’ was the company’s touring production exploring young people’s relationship with their mental health.
Written by Alex Cooke.  Directed by Suha Al-Khayyat.  Designed by Sarah Mills.  Funded by Arts Council England and CACT.

The sharing of sexually explicit selfies has become the norm for many young people.

This was the starting point for Viralize.  In working with young men and women through drama workshops, residencies and interviews, some of the complex stories behind this fact came to life.  We discovered that social media can be an added pressure in remaining popular and fitting in with friends.  This can be made worse by the amount of personal and sexual information that is shared online.  Taking a naked selfie can feel fun and safe in your own bedroom but once the image has been posted publicly, it can never be completely deleted.

17 years old. 17 months apart, 17 days together.  ‘Yes’ doesn’t count.

Messages that young people receive are often contradictory. On the one hand, the media is always telling you about your rights and responsibilities, and on the other, teachers and parents are warning you of the consequences of some of your actions.  Through drama workshops, we began to get a better understanding of the how young people have to look after adult family members and the impact this has on their lives. These young carers often have adult responsibilities from a very early age. They have accelerated childhoods and can see themselves as adults, ‘young people old before their time’.

A devised performance and workshop which explored how a group of young people become involved in gang crime.  Originally devised by the company and directed by Alex Cooke.

‘Gun Play’ explored gun crime through three very different perspectives; a Peckham gang, a boy soldier kidnapped from his family in a developing country and an ‘A’ list action movie star. Written by Ricki Beadle-Blair. Directed by Kate Holdom.

Running Scared was a devised 90-minute performance and workshop that explored the impact of bullying on the individual, family and wider community. Devised by the company.  Directed by Liz Sacre.

A piece of Forum Theatre originally devised with West Sussex County Youth Theatre. The audience were asked to interact with three young students who all have the potential to become involved in an act of violent extremism inspired by a social or political cause. Devised by the company.  Directed by Alex Cooke and Suha Al-Khayyat.

16-year old Hannah is trapped in a coma from a motorbike accident. As she receives treatment in intensive care, the audience see her grandmother cope with her own guilt for secrets she has kept – and Hannah coming to terms with the grief of losing her own mother when she was eight. Written by Dawn Garrigan.  Directed by Alex Cooke & Liz Sacre. Funded by Arts Council England.

A physical theatre piece telling the story of teenagers Kim and Danny as they come to terms with Kim’s pregnancy and the inevitable changes that followed. Written by Liz Sacre. Directed by Kate Holdom.

Rush, Clap, Jack was a trilogy of short plays which street crime, gangs and life choices. It presented scenes of dilemma and conflict, challenging the audience to interact with the characters. Written by Dawn Garrigan. Directed by Kate Holdom.

This important project raised awareness of homophobia and racial bullying. Through structured devising sessions, a group of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people worked with a writer and theatre practitioner to produce this drama based on their experiences in school. Originally written by Dawn Garrigan & Alex Cooke.  Originally directed by Kate Holdom.

Mediaocracy explored the impact of the mass media on young people’s relationships, tackling issues including; body image, internet pornography and steroid use.  Written by Alex Cooke.  Directed by Suha Al-Khayyat & Alex Cooke. Funded by Arts Council England.