TALK PROPA
Director | Producer | ShyBairn Theatre
A truly northern fuck you to the southern elite.​
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Two lasses from across the North™ of England take on the stereotypes they are constantly reduced to (with a cuppa tea in hand of course). Southerners, buckle up. Blending comedy and audience interaction with innovative video design and movement, TALK PROPA radically deconstructs the concept of a ‘generic northern accent’. A spotlight on the intersection of class, accent and gender prejudice against northern women both on and off stage. ​​
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Don’t be mardy - see yah there, pet.
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TALK PROPA is available to tour from Autumn 2021.​
PAST DATES:
Camden People's Theatre: 17th & 18th January 2020​
VAULT Festival: 11th - 13th February 2020
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AWARDS:
Recipient of The CULTIVATE Bursary in Assosciation with COMMON and The Newbury Corn Exchange for VAULT Festival 2020​
Shortlisted for the LET Award in partnership with Greenwich Theatre for Edinburgh Fringe 2020​
Shortlisted for the UNTAPPED Award with New Diorama, Underbelly and Obereon Books for Edinburgh Fringe 2020​
Featured in Lyn Gardner's TOP PICKS for VAULT Festival 2020
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REVIEWS:
“Shybairn’s Talk Propa casts a sharp eye on the North/South divide and the dominance of RP pronunciation in British theatre.” - Lyn Gardner, StageDoor, VAULT Festival 2020
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“TALK PROPA by ShyBairn Theatre was an absolute DELIGHT! Perfecting the collaborative womxn powerhouse 2 hander to expertly expose southerners’ stereotyping of northern women. Equal parts funny and furore.” - Bechdel Theatre, VAULT Festival 2020
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“Talk Propa by ShyBairn Theatre is like getting a massive hug from the motherlands. Resonant, honest and gorgeous, I urge everyone (northern, southern, midlands) to go and revel in its visceral glory!!” - Audience Member, VAULT Festival 2020
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“Theatre company ShyBairn created the show that’s a melting pot of comedy! … Talk Propa makes its point immediately and with exceptional clarity: there’s an issue with the way theatre represents Northerners, and there’s a lack of Northern accents on stage.” - The Play’s The Thing, VAULT Festival 2020
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“Talk Propa is a fast, often humorous show, with a serious point to make about the negative stereotypes of Northern accents. It’s always fun and it never lost the audience’s attention…” - British Theatre Guide, VAULT Festival 2020
CREATIVE TEAM:
Directed and Produced by Caitlin Evans
Assistant Producer: Becky Jones
Devised by SHYBAIRN ​
Performed by Rebecca Charlton and Hannah Clifford
Set and Lighting Design by Nic Farr
Sound Design by Becky Jones
Video Design by Hugo Bainbridge
Movement Direction by Marilena Sitaropoulou​​
With thanks to: Lekhani Chirwa, Niya Hill and Anna Spearpoint.
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Supported by: The Pleasance, Camden People's Theatre and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
