Micro-Productions 2021

Precious Emily is inspired by the extraordinary life story of Precious McKenzie who was born in apartheid era South Africa and showed indomitable spirit to overcome extraordinary odds and become four time Commonwealth weightlifting champion, three times for England and finally for New Zealand. It is also about the optimism, dedication and technical skill of Emily Campbell as she trains for weightlifting gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 2022. Ultimately it is about how to lift up heavy things.

This is also the first of thirteen productions of Precious Emily to be made over the next twelve months. The next eleven will be made and performed by local primary schools, including our hosts for this week – Raddlebarn Primary. The final version will be a family show performed by professional actors.

Credits

Devised and Performed by
Rosie Bagott, Mary-Jayne Russell de Clifford, Caroline Parker
Jack Trow, Holly Alanna Williams

Sound Orique Johnson
Illustrations Maxene Brown
Logo Simon Ford
Stage Management Emily Davies
Direction Paul ‘Steady’ Steadman & James Yarker

With Thanks To
Hayley, Olivia and Rachael for translating
Asnath Mokeka Losala, Matthew Gurney & Jean St Clair
Lucy Bird, Roisin Caffrey, Dave Howard & Craig Stephens
Our Board & Scheming Friends
Raddlebarn Primary School
Clair Birch, Jo Calvino & Warley Weightlifting Club
& Emily Campbell for her cooperation

Supported by
Arts Council England & Stan’s Cafe’s Scheming Friends
Access supported by DeafExplorer

Constructed at Our Facility in Selly Oak

Tour Dates

• 2pm & 4pm 6 November, 2021
  Our Facility, Selly Oak, Birmingham

Bordseley, the football mascot, as been elected council leader and unfortunately for him his first job on day one is to set the city’s budget. In a 45 minute whirl three billion pounds crosses his desk. He sees enormous sums come and go from central government learning how little he can choose what it is spent on. He gets business rates and pay for benefits. He experiences life on the front line of delivering council services, investigates the promises, pitfalls and limitations of raising council tax and spends an uneasy night gazing into the abyss of the adult social care budget. For a while he flirts with selling off council assets and learns to his surprise it’s possible to borrow money from other councils.

This fast, funny and educational show is a dramatisation of Birmingham City Council’s budget setting process. It explains how our local finances work without ever resorting to a graph, diagram or even very many numbers, instead thousands of gold painted dominoes, each representing half a million pounds put the whole balancing act into perspective.

Rehearsed and performed in an empty shop unit in Great Western Arcade, Birmingham this show is designed to be performed without specialist lights or sound equipment in non-theatre spaces. It is short enough to act as the first half of any event focusing on local democracy and fun enough to entertain anyone whether or not they are interested in local politics. Future versions are expected to be customised to reflect the budgets of the local authorities in which they are performed.

All Our Money was the second of three Stan’s Cafe micro-productions each made in five days and shown on consecutive Saturdays through November 2021. Each supported actors and an assistant director taking early steps in their devising practice.

This show’s basis is a collaboration between Stan’s Cafe and the artist Tas Bashir. Amongst his many pursuits Tas has been studying for a PhD in Music at the University of Birmingham. His academic topic and personal obsession is Qawwali, particularly the music of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and his connection with Birmingham.

Tas told us how many Kashmiris of his father’s generation emigrated when a vast dam flooded their land and how they ended up working in factories around Birmingham. He described their sense of displacement, persecution and the harsh living conditions they experienced while saving money to send home. He noted how their struggles meshed with the labour disputes of the late 70s and 80s and how into this dystopia Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan arrived as an extraordinary comforting voice from home.

new heights and marked a defining moment in his career, launching him to global stardom and allowing him to record what many believe to be the definitive works of the Qawwali form.

cassettes at factory gates, Mr. Ayub went on to open a record shop, broadcast on local radio and sign some of the world’s greatest acts, including Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, to his OSA (Oriental Star Agencies) record label.

working in a fulfilment centre and cruising with his mates in a low slung car, chasing transcendence in the echo of Nusrat’s performance, as it swirls around the ring road.

C90 Qawwali: Emperor in Birmingham was the third of three Stan’s Cafe micro-productions each made in five days and shown on consecutive Saturdays through November 2021. Each supported actors and an assistant director taking early steps in their devising practice.

Credits