Don’t worry, pre-schoolers don’t remember anything.

Everyday we read about child abuse. Every other day the police secures pornographic photos of children and hopefully arrests the perpetrator. But are we really aware of what this entails? These are photos of children being raped, assaulted, battered, tortured and killed. Many of the children are abused by their families or carers, many are sold by their own parents to paedophiles.  

Raven Kaliana, herself a victim of extreme child abuse, wrote this autobiographical play to make people aware of what is happening to these children. She uses puppets to portray the children because it would not be possible for child actors to play these horrible scenes. Most of the adults are shown only from the waist down. Each of the adult characters is played by two actors – one is physically on stage, the other provides the voice.  

Sylvia, a little girl, is playing with her toy rabbit when her mother (Sue) interrupts her game to take her to a photographer. Sue is having lunch with her friend Jill while the photographer shoots pornographic pictures of Sylvia and Jill’s litte boy named Martin. Jill is somewhat concerned about the effect those photo sessions might have on the children but Sue tells her not to worry: "Pre-schoolers don't remember anything." After a few years Sylvia’s parents decide that they could earn a lot more money by going to Hollywood where Sylvia would make it big in the movies. But Sylvia is growing up.  

Raven Kaliana’s story is very powerful and deeply disturbing. The two children Sylvia and Martin are touchingly played by the puppeteers Sara Kirkpatrick and Kat Damvoglou. Neither of them has any text but a melancholy violin – played by the wonderful violinist Susanna Ferrar - sets the mood and translates the children’s emotions into music. I found the scene changes a bit too long but Raven explained that several video clips had been missing which should be included in future shows.

There will be a post-show talk.

Adult audiences only.

29 June – 11 July, Tue – Sat 7.30 pm, Sun 6.30 pm

Tickets: £ 10 / £8 (concessions)

BOX OFFICE: 020 7704 6665

The Rosemary Branch, 2 Shepperton Road, London N1 3DT

Aren’t we all a work in progress – a kaleidoscope?

Second Skin Theatre presents a double bill exploring the nature of truth, honesty, the dark secrets within us and their impact upon who we are and who we love. Aptly directed by Andy McQuade, the two plays delve into a world of human longing, transgender sexuality, lost love, and the basic need to be held tight.

Stay With Me Til Dawn is an intense and disturbing play. Graham Farrow weaves a black tale of lonely men and missing children, where guilt and innocence become an indistinguishable grey area. The play began as a rehearsed reading as part of the Branching Out 3 season and has since been developed through a collaboration between director and playwright. Redford, a middle-aged man, is accused by gossip and hearsay of being a paedophile. He returns home, once again with a bloodied nose and cut face, to find a boy hiding in his flat. The boy has fled to him from his violent father who had advised him that Redford „liked young boys“ and he now seeks love and understanding from the lonely man. Soon thereafter, the boy’s father arrives to make enquiries about two 10-year old boys who have been missing. He immediately employs force to get his answers: events now begin to twist and turn as the real truth of Redford’s past is revealed. Peter Glover gives an outstanding performance as the sympathetic loner, David Swain and Matthew Haigh convincingly play the son and his abusive father. This production is not for the squeamish.    

Knuckleball by William Whitehurst, the winner of the awards for „Best Drama“ and „Best Production“ at the San Francisco Fringe Festival now arrives for its London premiere. A knuckleball, in baseball terms, is a pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight to throw the batter off guard and making a strike. In William Whitehurst’s intriguing play the working class bloke Ross proposes to his classy lover Trish right after they had passionate sex. Trish desperately wants to say yes, but cannot. Ross won’t take no for an answer—she must either marry him or explain why she won’t. Trish tells Ross an extraordinary tale about who—and what—she really is. But is she telling the truth? In this emotionally charged production the charismatic Laura Pradelska plays Trish and Bryan Kaplan repeats his role as the confused and touching Ross.

19 January – 7 February 2010, Tue – Fri 7.30 pm, 7.00 Sat and Sun

Tickets: £ 12 / £ 10 (concessions)

BOX OFFICE: 020 7704 6665

The Rosemary Branch, 2 Shepperton Road, London N1 3DT