A Fool's Proof by Scratchworks

RAW talent from Exeter’s Drama graduates

The RAW Emerging Arts Platform will showcase some of the most exciting drama graduate performances in the UK, at the Exeter Northcott Theatre, from 2 to 4 October 2014.

With alumni including Punchdrunk and Forced Entertainment, the University of Exeter has firmly established itself as the home of some of the most exciting cutting-edge talent in the UK. RAW Festival, a platform of contemporary work by their most recent graduates offers the opportunity to catch these companies in their infancy, and witness some of the freshest young voices in theatre and performance.

This October sees the first autumnal dates for the showcase and features four of the most promising performances from recent graduates. Opening the festival is Simon Dean’s solo show She Ain’t Heavy, She’s my Mother, an autobiographical work about growing up with a mother who suffers from anorexia. This is followed by A Fool’s Proof by BikeShed Theatre associates Scratchworks, which takes inspiration from the true story of Jessica McClure – an 18 month old who was trapped in a well for 56 hours – to explore how missing child news stories are framed and manipulated for media consumption.

Day two sees the opening of the second two shows of the programme, beginning with Help! created and performed by Viki Browne. A solo performance nominated for Best Original Show and Best Actress at the Reading Fringe Festival, the show takes audiences from the dairy isle of Sainsbury's to the greens of Ascot, depicting a familiar story for anyone that has ever struggled at life. This is followed by High Wall Theatre’s physical theatre piece The Alpha Effect performed by an all-male cast, which uses the setting of a prison to explore the struggles and stereotypes of masculinity in the 21st century.

Dr Kara Reilly, Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter said: “The University of Exeter’s Drama alumni create cutting-edge theatre companies: Punchdrunk and Forced Entertainment, to name two, are key companies in British experimental theatre. In other words, Exeter Drama means innovation. In order to nurture that innovation, the RAW platform provides a professional environment for cultivating artists. It invites final year students to showcase new performance in front of a panel of producers, dramaturgs and directors who make a selection. These pieces are carefully developed with an eye to production. Our goal is to nurture RAW talent. We are staging innovations in tomorrow’s theatre today.”

Exeter's Drama Department is an internationally-renowned centre for practice, research and teaching. They are currently in the Top 5 in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015 and The Complete University Guide 2015.

Each performance will be followed by a feedback session for participants and invited guests.

Visit the RAW Platform website for performance and booking details and follow #rawplatform on Twitter and Exeter Drama on Facebook.

Date: 25 September 2014

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