The Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust, in partnership with the Pureland Foundation and children’s charity Kidscape, will present the world premiere of Emily Jenkins’ pioneering new play Cookies for two performances only at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 29th October 2017.
The announcement follows an intriguing teaser video released yesterday.
Inspired by the online experiences of 120 students, Cookies by Fringe First Award winner Emily Jenkins promises to take audiences on an astonishing digital journey that questions the effects and consequences of cyber bullying.
In a world of gaming, vlogging, instant messaging and streaming, the show sees the online and offline worlds of four teenagers collide when each are exposed to cyber bullying and a darker side to their digital lives.
Anna Ledwich, 2015 Olivier Award nominee for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, directs the stimulating, timely and significant new piece of theatre.
Cookies has been commissioned and developed for The Cyberscene Project; an inspirational theatre initiative created by The Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust in partnership with Kidscape and generously funded by Pureland Foundation. The project aims to use theatre to support the health and well-being of young people affected by cyber bullying and to raise awareness of not only the dangers of being online, but also the positives too.
In October 2016, the Cyberscene team went into four London-based further education colleges and began scripting the play through a series of theatre based workshops. In this supportive environment, over 100 young students worked alongside theatre professionals to share their intimate experiences of being online; to learn from each other and to be part of an empowering initiative which aims to address the impact of cyber bullying and the wider digital realm. The final production will feature 25 of the original 100 students as an ensemble alongside a cast of established actors, who will be announced at a later date.
It is through hearing the voices of these young students that Emily Jenkins was able to conceive Cookies, a bold, new play which directly addresses some of the issues brought up in the workshops through live performance.
Speaking about the play, Emily Jenkins said: “For those who have grown up with the internet it has become almost as fundamental to daily life – as elemental as oxygen. We are still discovering the rules and intricacies of existing within this world; yet it is young people themselves who are most aware of the difference it makes.”
The performance taking place at the Theatre Royal Haymarket is the first landmark in the project’s legacy. Blayne George, Programme Director at Masterclass commented: “This project doesn’t end on 29th October; on the contrary that’s where it begins. Along with this important new play we will be collating our research into a free resource pack for schools and education providers across the United Kingdom as a way of helping to raise awareness and combat the ever-growing issues of cyber bullying and digital security.”
Cyberscene is generously supported by The Pureland Foundation and the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Bruno Wang, Chairman of the Pureland Foundation said, “We all know the internet can be informative and entertaining, but it’s also a place where young people can be led to harm and, as such we are proud to be partnering with Masterclass and Kidscape on such a poignant, relevant and necessary project.”
Cyberscene has been created under the artistic guidance of renowned British theatre director, Jonathan Church.
Dr Ellen Helsper, Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor in the Media and Communications Department at the LSE, is overseeing an evaluation of the project which links with her wider research into the subject area.
You can book your tickets to the show through the Theatre Royal Haymarket website.