China Plate presents
Yvette
by Urielle Klein-Mekongo
Commissioned by Bernie Grant Arts Centre in association with Hull 2017.
10 & 11 March 2018
Women of the World Festival, Southbank Centre
16 April 2018
Oxford Playhouse
24 April 2018
Harlow Playhouse
25 April 2018
Norwich Arts Centre
1 May 2018
Midlands Arts Centre
3 5 May 2018
Exeter Phoenix
8 9 May 2018
Camden Peoples Theatre
10 12 May 2018
Shoreditch Town Hall
14 16 May 2018
Battersea Arts Centre
17 19 May 2018
The Albany
21 23 May 2018
Bush Theatre
Supported by Chats Palace, Old Vic New Voices and using public funds from The National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Yvette
by Urielle Klein-Mekongo
Written & performed by Urielle Klein-Mekongo
With original music and lyrics by Urielle Klein-Mekongo
Creative Team
Directed by Gbolahan Obisesan
Original Production Directed by Rebecca Atkinson Lord & Meriel Hinsching
Set & Costume Design by Giorgia Lee Joseph
Lighting Design by Azusa Ono
Production Managed by Kady Howey Nunn
Artist Wellbeing Practitioner Louise Platt
Produced by China Plate
Yvette was first developed at East 15s Debut Festival, a pioneering event dedicated to the staging of new plays written and directed as well as performed by graduating students on the acclaimed CT course (BA in Acting and Contemporary Theatre) conceived and led by Uri Roodner.
Special thanks to Old Vic Lab, Jesse Briton, East 15, Uri Roodner, Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Ed Theakston, And Also The Trees, National Youth Theatre, New Wolsey Theatre, Charlotte Josephine, Anna Niland, Sabrina Mahfouz, Ann Akin, Helen Mugridge, New Diorama, Chats Palace and all our crowdfunding supporters.
Running time approximately 55 minutes
Creative Team
URIELLE KLEIN-MEKONGO WRITER/PERFORMER
Urielle is a writer, theatre-maker, singer/songwriter and performer. Since Graduating from East 15 Acting School, Urielle has written for Young Harts Company and her work has been performed as part of the Lyric Gala. Urielle has also been working with the Soho Writers Group and BBC Writers London Voices. Yvette is Urielles debut play, which she performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, receiving five-star reviews and winning the Young Harts Writing Fest Audience Favourite, the Kings Head Theatre Stella Wilkie Award and The East15 Pulse Award 2017. Other theatre credits include: The Croydon Avengers (Southbank Centre).
GBOLAHAN OBISESAN DIRECTOR
Gbolahan recently held the role of Genesis Fellow/Associate Director at the Young Vic Theatre. In 2018, Gbolahans adaptation of the Booker Prize-nominated novel The Fisherman will premiere at HOME, Manchester (New Perspectives Theatre). Previous directing credits include 2017 Olivier-nominated Cuttin It (Young Vic, Birmingham Rep, Sheffield Crucible, Royal Court, Yard Theatre) Off The Page, a short film for the Royal Court/ Guardians microplays season, We are Proud to Present (Bush Theatre) and The Web (Young Vic).
REBECCA ATKINSON-LORD DIRECTOR (ORIGINAL PRODUCTION)
Rebecca trained at RADA and with the Royal Opera House and the Young Vic. Her work has taken her from major international companies like Shakespeares Globe, Scottish Opera and the Royal Opera House, to intimate found spaces in London and beyond. She is Founding Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Arch 468 and from 20102016 was Director of Theatre at Ovalhouse in London.
MERIEL HINSCHING DIRECTOR (ORIGINAL PRODUCTION)
Meriel is an emerging theatre-maker and graduate of the prestigious East 15 Acting and Contemporary Theatre Course, mentored by Uri Roodner. She works as an actress on both stage and television and co-formed two theatre companies, RedDeer Theatre and Dead Leaf Theatre. She has written and co-written several plays of her own; most notably her work has been staged at the Courtyard Theatre, the Camden Peoples Theatre and the Kings Head Theatre. Meriel also works a director; most recently having directed the original production of Yvette at Debut Festival at East 15 Acting School. She is currently producing emerging writer Ben Aldertons political play Hell Yes Im Tough Enough, which is set to be staged in London in January 2019.
GIORGIA LEE JOSEPH DESIGNER
Giorgia Lee Joseph is a young Italian designer who graduated in theatre design from Wimbledon College of Arts (UAL). Her work aims to create an immersive atmosphere for both actors and audience to share and connect within it. Alongside traditional theatre, Giorgia explores immersive and site-specific performances and event design. In her designs, Giorgia aspires to captivate the audience in unconventional worlds and circumstances.
AZUSA ONO LIGHTING DESIGNER
Azusa trained in fine art in Japan and lighting design at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
Recent design credits include: Tate Live Exhibition 2018 (Tate Modern); Kairos Opera (V&A Museum); Becoming Invisible (Bascule Chamber-Tower Bridge); Smack That (National Tour); Killer (Shoreditch Town Hall); Darkness Darkness (Nottingham Playhouse); Cuttin It (Young Vic/National Tour); The Tigers Bones and Other Stories (Nottingham Lakeside/National Tour); I Know All The Secrets In My World (Derby Theatre/National Tour); Dot, Squiggle and Rest (Royal Opera House Clore Studio); Peddling (New York 59E59/National Tour); Playland (Derby Theatre/National Tour); We Are Proud (Bush Theatre); The Lovesong of Alfred J Hitchcock (Curve Theatre Leicester/International Tour) and Copyright Christmas (Barbican Centre);
About the show
Yvette first came into existence as three pages of text written as an exercise set for all third-year students studying Contemporary Theatre at East 15 Acting School. Of all the texts submitted, six were selected and developed into full productions to be presented as part of East 15s Debut Festival. The opening performance at Debut Festival caused a storm, it picked up awards, support from venues and was spotted by producers China Plate. The show then went through a short development phase with director Rebecca Atkinson-Lord, commissioned by Bernie Grant Arts Centre and supported by Hull City of Culture 2017. The show previewed at Hull 2017s Back to Ours Festival and Pulse Festival at the New Wolsey Theatre in June 2017 before opening at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where Urielle was selected as an Artist to Watch for the British Council Showcase.
This final draft of the script was fine-tuned with director Gbolahan Obisesan for the Spring 2018 tour opening at the Women of the World Festival (Southbank Centre) and closing with a London run across five different venues.
China Plate is an independent theatre studio that works with artists, venues, festivals and funders to challenge the way performance is made, who its made by and who gets to experience it.
