Sancho & Me by Paterson Joseph
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Chips off the old block by Streetwise Opera
Be inspired by the extraordinary story of 18th century abolitionist Ignatius Sancho, who was born on a slave ship on the Atlantic Ocean, and yet became a writer, composer, shopkeeper and the first Black man to vote in England.
Paterson Joseph (Wonka, Peep Show) wrote and stars in Sancho & Me – For One Night Only, a powerful monologue that explores ideas of belonging, language, education, slavery, commerce, violence, threat, politics, music and love – and where these themes intersect with Paterson’s own story of being Black and British.
The evening begins with Chips off the old block, a short opera about the pursuit of love, fish and chips, and a loo. This charming and quirky escapade intertwines melodies of life and laughter, with every character just one song away from discovering that we all have a lot more in common than we think.
The piece was co-created by people with lived experience of homelessness in Streetwise Opera’s weekly workhops here at Nottingham Playhouse, working with librettist Paterson Jospeh, composer David Austin Grey, director Beth Kapila, designer Debbie Duru and music director Tim Lole.
This event is part of Streetwise Opera’s Re:Discover festival, which also features interactive workshops, talks and an exhibition at Nottingham Playhouse. Find out more at streetwiseopera.org/projects/rediscover.
