Words of Mouth
ABOUT
Box Clever is a writer-led company and as such has championed the written word as much as the performed word when designing projects for young people. The Company is very much about giving voice to young people as they navigate their way though adolescence into adulthood.
Whenever the opportunity occurs, and when funding is available, the Company will work with a number of schools on a tailored project as part of the ‘Words of Mouth’ programme. The rudimentary structure of the project is as follows:
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A Class-size group of students (KS3/KS4) from each of the participating schools will be invited to join the project and to explore and express their experience of the world as they see it through creative writing. Over four week o fortnightly in-school visits to each of the schools, Box Clever will lead a series of dynamic workshops that blend writing, discussion and drama, helping students to find their voice both on the page and in the room.
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Students will work in one or two class-size groups, remaining with the project throughout. The workshops are designed to spark ideas, explore current themes of interest and encouraging students to express these in words.
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Each school visit will include a 90-minute to 2-hour workshop for each group, led by our professional team of three artists: a writer, a director and an actor, all with enhanced DBS checks. The writer will also be developing their own work alongside the students, modelling the process of sharing, editing and refining new writing.
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The project begins with an introduction of the project to the whole year group and builds across the visits to a final showcase. A selection of student writing will be performed as rehearsed readings by professional actors at a regional theatre and filmed for students and schools to keep.
By the end of the project, students will have created and shaped original pieces of writing and grown in confidence as they learn how to express ideas, listen to others and develop their craft.
Gallery
Murder and Mayhem in Macbeth
Murder and Mayhem in Macbeth
Macbeth with the Witches
Macbeth with the Witches
Paulo Sebastiao as Macbeth, Callum Broome as King Duncan
Paulo Sebastiao as Macbeth, Callum Broome as King Duncan
Poppy Charlton as Lady M, Paulo Sebastiao as Macbeth
Poppy Charlton as Lady M, Paulo Sebastiao as Macbeth
Paulo Sebastiao as Macbeth, Poppy Charlton as Lady M
Paulo Sebastiao as Macbeth, Poppy Charlton as Lady M
Poppy Charlton, Callum Broome and Paulo Sebastiao as the witches
Poppy Charlton, Callum Broome and Paulo Sebastiao as the witches
Callum Broome as Macduff
Callum Broome as Macduff
Brave Macbeth action scene
Brave Macbeth action scene
THE COMPANY
Michael wicherek | ADAPTATION
Emily ORME | Assitant director & intimacy coach
MOON RAIN | DESIGNER
PIP THURLOW | PRODUCTION
MICHAEL SHORT | SET BUILD
Amy moore | rehearsal stage manager
riad richie | director, choreographer, sound design
ELLIOT HAYE | MACBETH
Elliot Hay is a dynamic theatre maker with a background in street theatre and a bold, physical approach to storytelling. Trained at Rose Bruford and Coventry University, he has brought roles like Romeo, Macduff and Caliban to life across national tours and site specific spaces.
A familiar face to Box Clever audiences, Elliot returns to the role of Macbeth with raw intensity and a passion for bringing Shakespeare directly to young people. A skilled actor, musician, fighter and deviser, he thrives in energetic, fast paced rehearsal rooms and has a natural flair for engaging audiences of all ages.
Elliot is thrilled to step back into the shoes of the Scottish king, making every heartbeat of the story resonate in classrooms and theatres alike.
MUNACHE DANGA | LADY M
Munashe Danga is a recent graduate of Rose Bruford College, where her credits included lead roles in The Cherry Orchard, F*****g A, and Twelfth Night. She also presented her original work A Collection of Conversations as part of the college's Symposium Festival.
She has since worked with Tangled Feet, Revoluton Arts and the National Youth Theatre, performing in new writing and site specific projects including Rave New World and Refilwe. Her screen credits include The Girls and Goodbye, both produced through the London Film Academy.
Trained in Meisner technique and Laban movement, with additional skills in spoken word and immersive performance, Munashe joins the company for the first time with a strong focus on truthful, physical storytelling.
THOMAS JOHN-HARRIS | MACDUFF
Thomas John Harris is a graduate of Rose Bruford College (Wigan) whose stage credits include A View From the Bridge, Six Characters in Search of an Author, and Animal Farm, in which he played Boxer. He also took part in an international residency at ESMAE in Portugal, developing a self-led solo piece.
Thomas has worked with ThickSkin Theatre on The Generator Project and has a background in devised performance, with additional training in physical theatre, voice and advanced stage combat. His work spans classic text, new writing and research based ensemble projects.
He joins the company with a focus on physicality, rhythm and text, bringing his blend of movement and character detail into the room.
RIAD RICHIE | DIRECTOR
Riad Richie is a versatile British actor, stunt performer and digital creative, raised in East London and a graduate of East 15 Acting School, where he trained in acting and stage combat. With over 70 professional credits across film, television and theatre, he has worked with the BBC, Disney, Amazon Studios, Netflix, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe.
He recently appeared in Anna Karenina, directed by Philip Breen at Chichester Festival Theatre, and will feature in Season 2 of Amazon’s House of David. He returns to direct the national tour of Macbeth, following the production’s critical and educational success. Most recently, he directed Romeo and Juliet, which achieved a 100 percent success rate from schools, a first for the company.
Riad’s creative practice spans musical performance, martial arts and digital content creation across video, sound, branding and design. He is committed to creating emotionally truthful, visually inventive work that resonates with audiences of all ages.
TESTIMONIES
A great modern-day interpretation with excellent audience participation. The students will have benefited from seeing the actors bringing it to life.
I loved it! I personally think that all schools should experience this. What I liked the most was how the actors used people from the audience in the story.
Heartfelt performances, professionalism and a joy to watch. Thank you.
I thought it was a better interpretation of ‘Macbeth’ than any of the others I’ve seen as it made me think about what the play is saying.