Fool's Paradise

Press release

Immediate: 23 Feb 2007

Fool’s Paradise

Wed 21 – Sat 24 March 2007

Wed 21 Mar 07 / matinee 2pm / evening 7.30pm / All Tickets £4

Thu – Sat 24 March 2007 / 7.30pm / Tickets £7(£5)

www.the-drum.org.uk

How much of our lives do we control? To what extent are we being controlled? To what lengths will you go in order to fulfil your dreams?

Fool’s Paradise is a provocative exploration into a world where promises are made and just as easily broken. It delves headlong into the lives of young girls who dance for money. Once an aspiring model, the beautiful Marlene is manipulated by ruthless club owner Lucinda. What soon becomes apparent is that Lucinda’s club is not all it seems as her dancers are often coerced into seducing the clients.

Doorman Femi thought he had escaped the terror and violence of civil war in Africa, only to find he’s caught up in a chain of deadly events where his past soon catches up with him.

Originally performed as work-in-progress at the Collide Festival (2004), the piece has been re-titled and developed into a full length theatre play, Fool’s Paradise.

Written by Marcia Sparkes and Kabo Molefe, – two emerging playwrights from Birmingham, Fool’s Paradise is their take on how lives are affected by decisions made by others. According to the playwrights, “the world is a place where you can achieve fame and fortune without doing much, so we wanted to get the point across of always wanting more – more money, more things, more prestige but often, the end result is a diminishing of the spirit.”

Using this as the starting point for the development of the script, the young writers are keen to explore just how far individuals would go in order to sacrifice their integrity for the fulfilment of their dreams.

Featuring a diverse cast of young talented actors from Birmingham, Fool’s Paradise is a contemporary slice of urban life.

Fool’s Paradise is direct by Paul Savage, former associate director at mac and includes an original score composed by The Jazz Warrior, Shabaka Hutchins.

Ends

MEDIA CONTACT: Sati Parmar @ The Drum – T – 0121 333 2404