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Scratch It! Tickets Now Available

Tigz Theatre are pleased to announce its new writing night “Scratch It!” at the London Welsh Centre.

Scratch It! is Tigz Theatre’s new writing event, that will be staged twice a year. The aim of the event is to discover new pieces that we can then consider for further development. February’s Scratch It! event is focusing on LGBT issues as part of LGBT History Month and will take place at the London Welsh Centre on Friday 19^th February, Monday 22^nd February and Tuesday 23^rd February at 19.45 with a matinee performance on Saturday 20^th February at 14.00. Friday 19^th February will be a pay what you can evening where ticket prices are whatever you can afford. Tickets to the remaining performances will be £5 and are available on the door or online

Scratch It! contains 5, 20 minute pieces that deal with a range of LGBT themes and issues that have been written by a range of writers from across the UK. At the end of the evening audience members are invited to tell us their favourite pieces (via comment cards and social media) and help us decided which piece or pieces should be developed further into full scale productions in 2017.

The Scratch It pieces are:

‘Happiness Darker’ by James Aden
The piece deals with the period of time when national swimmer Mike discovers that he has become HIV positive. It also shows how his family cope with the fact Mike that has left home suddenly after telling his parents he is gay.

The section also deals with his new friendship with Jud, who he blames for his HIV diagnosis when Jud gives him the drugs that led the HIV infection to occur via chem sex.

‘Wren’ by Lara Barbier
Sephy has gone back to University to pursue her true passion, printmaking through a part time MA. There she meets enigmatic Wren, straight-talking Lou and affable Matt. The four quickly become close-knit friends. In their first term Sephy’s long term partner, Sam proposes to her, and Sephy accepts. However, as she and Wren become closer and attraction begins to bloom, Sephy’s belief in a stable relationship and marriage as her benchmark for success and a happy life, are thrown in to doubt. When Sephy sleeps with Wren, Sephy has to choose whether she will tell Sam what happened, but also whether she can admit that it was more than just ‘experimenting’ and her attraction for women may in fact be a longed for part of herself that has gone unexplored and unexpressed for a long time.

‘Loving Her’ by Stephen M Hornby
Two men meet by chance in a hotel in Blackpool in 1975 at the Conservative Party Conference.  They conduct a secret affair over the next dozen years. There are key turning points when they meet at subsequent Tory Party Conferences in Brighton in 1981 and in Blackpool again in 1987.

‘An Unequal Freedom’ by Edwin Preece
The play takes place in two time periods. The early 1960’s when homosexuality was still illegal and the present day. Colin, a bank clerk and Tony, a bin man meet in 1961 and have to keep their relationship secret whereas Caitlin and Sinead who live in Dublin are about to get married.
The early scenes trace the start of Colin and Tony’s relationship and as the play progresses it will become apparent that Tony is the driving force behind the relationship and has a very clear idea that he wants to settle down with the much more closeted Colin.

Caitlin wants a wedding that will mark a ‘special’ day for her and Sinead goes along with this. They are successful women who both earn enough to buy a house in the Dublin suburbs. When Sinead’s friend Declan calls and tells them that one way he is raising money to buy a flat is that he’s thinking of donating to a private sperm bank, Caitlin begins to think that the next logical step for the girls after marriage is to start a family.

Colin hears that Tony has been to look at a house that a colleague at work is thinking of renting. He suggests that Colin move in with him and they share the cost. To his surprise Colin agrees.

‘The Secret Life of Shadows’ by Steven Lancefield
Daniel is a shy young pupil at the Armada drama school. Daniel excels in dance, but his dreams of becoming a professional dancer are cruelly dashed after he is pushed to the ground by a fellow classmate, Kieran.  Kieran, who is charismatic yet deeply insecure, continues to bully Daniel until the day they both leave the school.

Nearly twenty years later, Daniel happens to bump into Kieran in a London pub. Kieran is now a successful actor, well known from stage and screen. Kieran invites Daniel to come to his lavish house for dinner, partly to apologise for his previous behaviour. Daniel meets Kieran’s handsome husband, Jamie, and Kieran’s agent and best friend, Sooz.

It transpires that Daniel is down on his luck. He has lost his job and his girlfriend in the space of a few weeks, and feels embittered about Kieran’s success and happiness. Daniel has been shadowing Kieran’s career for the past fifteen years, waiting for his opportunity to strike.

As the dinner party gets increasingly tense, Daniel announces that he will go to the press about the bullying he endured at the Armada, unless Kieran abides to his conditions. For three months, Daniel would like not only Kieran’s house and money. He also wants Kieran’s husband and Kieran’s career.
Terrified of losing all that is dear to him, Kieran reluctantly agrees to Daniel’s terms, for what will be three torturous months for all concerned

David Evans - February 16, 2016