TALK PROPA
Director | Producer | ShyBairn Theatre
A truly northern fuck you to the southern elite.
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.
Don’t be mardy - see yah there, pet.
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
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
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
“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
“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
“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
“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.
Supported by: The Pleasance, Camden People's Theatre and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
