Home theatre returns to Stratford

Too tired to drag yourself down to the theatre? Never fear: now you can book up for the theatre to come to you!

Home theatre is returning to the Theatre Royal Stratford East after a successful run in 2013. Since then, Home Theatre has gone international, with a performance in Brazil. This autumn will see performances in Birmingham and South Africa too. The 2015 performances will be followed by an international symposium at the Theatre Royal on Monday, 19th October, which will explore the concept and practice of home theatre, with some of the home theatre practitioners running workshops and running masterclasses.

The theatre is looking for 30 London residents who will each host a bespoke, one-person theatre performance in own their homes on Saturday, 17th October. During the week leading up to the performances, the 30 artists will take inspiration for their stories from the host of the home where they will be performing. Hosts will be encouraged to invite an audience of friends and family to see the performance, for free. Afterwards, hosts are asked to provide refreshments for their guests, who will then share their thoughts about the performance. All 30 performances will be broadcast on stratfordeast.com on Saturday, 31st October and Sunday, 1st November.

Suhaiyla Hippolyte, who staged one of the performances in 2013, said: “Home Theatre was one the most intense weeks of my life. Making a show in just a few days for someone that I didn’t know was daunting but at the same time really pushed me as an artist. Performing in an intimate place like someone’s home was a new and very rewarding experience. It was great to be involved in a project where I could use all of my talents collectively, as I’m a spoken word artist and actress.”

Leytonstone based Daniel Tuffour, one of the hosts in 2013, said: “I’m so glad that I took part in Home Theatre. When Saturday arrived, I didn’t know what to expect. My performance artist really captured my story in a way which I would never have thought was possible. The performance had everything I wanted to see. She sang, acted and took me and my friends on a roller-coaster of emotions. I’d definitely do it again.”

•Members of the public wishing to host performances can apply via the theatre’s website www.stratfordeast.com/hometheatre or can email hometheatreuk@stratfordeast.com to request an application form. Applications must be returned by Friday, 21st August.

•Artists interested in attending the symposium should e-mail hometheatreuk@stratfordeast.com.

Home Theatre (UK), which this year is generously being funded by The Gulbenkian Foundation and The Gibbs Charitable Trust.

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