Angry and Young
An Almeida repertory season
Arnold Wesker‘s Roots together with John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger, changed British theatre forever. The mirror they held up to 1950s society is now angled towards 2024, with the two plays running alongside each other in repertory for 11 weeks, as part of the Almeida’s Angry and Young season this Autumn.
Explore the productions
Videos
Unearthed
Explore even more from the golden age of British playwriting at our series of rehearsed readings. Plus an archive-based performance of unearthed texts from the same period.
Unearthed: Extracts
Sun 10 Nov, 4.30pm
Unearthed: Extracts stages and celebrates the creative work of working-class artists from the 1950s and 60s: giving a voice to the unheard and often overlooked from this period. Performed by Almeida Young Company alumni and including a variety of unpublished works ranging from theatre, letters, spoken word and more, showcasing a range of performance styles directly from London archives.
SerJeant Musgrave’s Dance by John Arden
Sun 17 Nov, 2pm
A rehearsed reading of John Arden’s anti-war play about a group of army deserters radicalised by their pacifist serjeant. The play caused a stir amongst reviewers of its 1959 premiere, prompting them to demand of the public: “What kind of theatre do you want?”. This performance asks whether the play retains its daring idealism.
The Lion in Love by Shelagh Delaney
Sun 17 Nov, 6pm
A rehearsed reading of Shelagh Delaney’s lesser-known follow up to A Taste of Honey. In this 1960 play, a multigenerational Irish immigrant family, living and working in Salford, ask: “What makes a happy life?”. As the younger generation begins to fly the nest, their parents struggle to accept the confines of their lives.
Skyvers by Barry Reckord
Fri 22 Nov, 2pm
A rehearsed reading of Skyvers by Barry Reckord, one of the first Caribbean playwrights to have plays produced on the London stage. Following a group of underprivileged boys in their last week at school, this 1963 play questions the value of an education system that writes off students before they even enter the classroom.
Revive
Dive deeper into the Angry and Young season at our industry-led panel event and check out our documentary on producing a repertory season.
Everything since the Kitchen Sink: why revive post-war plays?
Tue 15 Oct, 4pm
Did 1956 revolutionise British theatre? Do we feel the aftershocks of this moment in playwriting today? And can a revival ever be as radical as a new play?
Playwright and academic, Dan Rebellato invites a guest panel to explore the challenges and opportunities in reviving British post-war plays in 2024.
Angry and young documentary
A short documentary exploring the legacy of Roots and Look Back in Anger and their relevance today in 2024, featuring interviews with artists and academics. To be released in autumn 2024. To be the first to hear about the documentary, sign up to our mailing list.
Stages
Discover new artists in our foyer on Saturdays between performances and collaborate on a UK-wide creative project for emerging working-class artists.
Saturday Stages
Sat 12 Oct – Sat 16 Nov, 4.30-5.30pm
What is the antidote to anger?
Slotting in between the matinee and evening show, Saturday Stages is an antidote, a pause and a creative break, that provides a space for early career and working-class artists to perform their work, and respond to the politics and themes portrayed in both Roots and Look Back in Anger.
No booking required.
Home Stages
Sun 10 Nov, 1pm
A screening event platforming the work of eight selected emerging and working-class artists from across the country.
Followed by a networking event for the artists, invited guests and audience members held in the foyer at the Almeida Theatre.
Stages: Call Outs
We’re looking for artists and creatives to take part in two paid projects Home Stages and Saturday Stages as part of our Angry and Young season.
Saturday Stages
We are looking for a range of artists, who self-identify as early career and working class to perform at a series of performances happening this autumn.
Slotting between the Saturday matinee and evening show at the Almeida Theatre, Saturday Stages aims to provide a laid-back environment to showcase musicians, poets, and more.
If selected, each artist will be offered a 10-minute slot to perform on stage in our foyer at the Almeida – to share their work, and respond to the politics and themes portrayed in both Look Back in Anger and Roots.
Saturday Stages is presented and curated by the Almeida Young Producers, in collaboration with the Almeida Participation Team.
Application closing date: Thu 26 Sep, 12pm
Applicants notified: Thu 3 Oct
Performance dates: Between Sat 12 Oct – Sat 16 Nov
We are looking for a variety of performance styles – from music to spoken word – to perform on a variety of dates.
In order to apply for Saturday Stages, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Identify as both working class and an emerging artist.
- Live within commuting distance of London.
- Your performance act requires a maximum of two performers, and does not require amplified sound.
- Aged 18+
- Be available for one of the dates indicated below. You must be available from 12-6pm on your performance date, in order to set up, perform and pack down around showing timings. You will not be required for the whole six hours.
Call out for musicians:
- Sat 12 Oct: “You’re too young to start giving up. Too young, and too lovely” Look Back in Anger.
- Sat 16 Nov: “Don’t it make you want to dance?” Roots.
Call out for poets and spoken word artists:
- Sat 19 Oct: “ The voice that cries out doesn’t have to be a weakling’s does it” Look Back in Anger.
Open Call Out (looking for craft artists, for those specialising in lost trades e.g. basket-weaving, as well as performance-based artists e.g. musicians, poets etc.):
- Sat 26 Oct: “Let’s pretend that we’re human beings, and that we’re actually alive” Look Back in Anger.
- Sat 9 Nov: “Education ent only in books and music, it’s asking questions all the time” Roots.
The Almeida Participation Team is committed to supporting artists with access requirements. If there is anything you would like to let us know that will support you through the applications, recruitment process or the project, you can do so by emailing us at participate@almeida.co.uk or call us at 020 7288 4917.
- Each selected artist will be offered £50 for their time and a contribution to their travel expenses.
- The foyer stage is not currently step-free, please get in touch to discuss this, if you have any questions about accessing the platform to perform.
- We will contact all applicants, whether or not they have been shortlisted to perform as part of Saturday Stages by Fri 4 Oct.
- As we are a small team, managing a large volume of applications, unfortunately we are not able to offer individual feedback.
- We cannot accept any applications received after the deadline of Fri 26 Sep at midday.
- Due to the performance space, we cannot accept performance acts who require any amplified sound, e.g. bass or electric guitar. We can provide access to a handheld microphone and a PA system.
If you have any questions about Saturday Stages, please email participate@almeida.co.uk
Home Stages
We are seeking submissions from artists who identify as both emerging artists and working class, working across London and the UK for a nationwide project: Home Stages. We’d like ideas for devised pieces created in response to a prompt, that will be featured in a digital sharing at Almeida. Please find details of the prompts in the submission form.
Submissions will be read by a panel of working-class artists, producers and Almeida staff. From initial applications, eight shortlisted Artists will be offered a bursary of £500 to develop their idea and create a Digital Piece (up to ten-minutes long). These pieces will then be brought together by a commissioned digital artist and presented at a screening event in November at the Almeida.
We will be working in partnership with regional theatres, as part of this project. Home Stages is presented and curated by the Almeida Young Producers, in collaboration with the Almeida Participation Team.
Application closing date: Mon 30 Sep, 12pm
Shortlisted applicants notified: Week Commencing Mon 30 Sep
First draft submission: Mon 21 Oct
Final draft submission: Wed 30 Oct
Screening event and networking at the Almeida: Sun 10 Nov
In the initial application for Home Stages, we are looking for a short, 2-minute creative response to our text and image prompts (further details included in the submission form).
We are looking for the first submission to introduce the seed of a bigger idea – giving us an insight into what you would create, if selected and offered the £500 bursary.
- Please submit a two minute (maximum) creative response video. This submission should give us a sense of what you’d do with more time and with a £500 bursary. It could be a preview or a pitch.
- We are looking for an original, devised idea. This could be a section of a monologue, spoken word, movement piece or a section from a scene. We want to hear your voice, your fresh ideas.
- We aren’t looking for anything polished or filmed on high-tech equipment – rough and ready, creative and filmed on a mobile phone is great.
- The video link should be an unlisted Vimeo or YouTube link format only. Please do not send us a WeTransfer link as it will expire. Please double check to make sure your link is accessible to us.
- An artist working in the UK.
- Identify as both working class and an emerging artist. There is no upper age restriction on this project, it is intended for regional working-class artists at the start of their career.
- Able to commit to delivering a ten minute digital project, with a first draft by Mon 21 Oct.
- Aged 18+
- Able to attend the screening event on Sun 10 Nov at the Almeida.
The Almeida Participation Team is committed to supporting artists with access requirements. If there is anything you would like to let us know that will support you through the application and recruitment process or the project, you can do so by emailing us at participate@almeida.co.uk or call us at 020 7288 4917.
- Home Stages is free to take part in – and we will also be offering the eight selected artists a bursary of £500 to develop their ideas.
- Travel support will be provided by the Almeida for artists travelling to London for the screening event in November.
- Please note that the screening event will be held in the Almeida Theatre auditorium. The auditorium stalls are wheelchair accessible, with wheelchair spaces and transfer seats available. The Almeida stage and circle do not currently have step free access – the stage has 3-4 steps up to it, and the circle is accessed by two sets of steps. To find out more about Access at the Almeida, including an Accessibility Tour, please visit our Access page.
- We will be in touch with all applicants, whether or not they are shortlisted to take part in the project.
- As we are a small team, managing a large volume of applications, unfortunately we are not able to offer individual feedback.
- We cannot accept any applications received after the deadline of Mon 30 Sep, 12pm. If this deadline is a barrier to you but you are still interested in applying, please email participate@almeida.co.uk
If you have any questions about Home Stages, please get in touch.
Almeida For Free
Two performances plus a series of workshops and events all free exclusively for anyone aged 25 and under.
Angry and Young For Free performances will take place on:
Thu 10 Oct, 7.30pm – Look Back in Anger
Thu 14 Nov, 7.30pm – Roots
To find out when tickets are available plus discover the full line-up of events taking place, sign up to our emails for Tickets & Events for 16-25s.
Angry and Young Season Supporters
With thanks to our Production Syndicate and The Noël Coward Foundation who have helped make our Angry and Young Season possible.
