Complicité in association with the Barbican, London, supported by Oxford Playhouse presents: Can I Live? A filmed theatre, hip-hop and spoken word performance about the climate crisis through the lens of a young Black British activist Conceived, written and performed by Fehinti Balogun Directed by Daniel Bailey | Co-Director Simon McBurney Filmed by Create Anything Productions Digital tour: September – November 2021 ‘the most influential and consistently interesting theatre company working in Britain.’ The Times T: @complicite | Insta: @CompliciteTheatre | F: @TheatredeComplicite | #CanILiveShow | www.complicite.org |
Inspired by Fehinti Balogun’s experiences in environmental activism, Can I Live? is a specially filmed performance prompting an urgent conversation about the lack of diversity at the heart of the British climate movement. Balogun (I May Destroy You, Walden) is an actor, writer and activist, and now delivers his energising exploration of where the climate emergency and social justice meet. Using hip-hop, spoken word and theatre, it is a call-to-arms to anyone who may have felt excluded from activism or anyone curious about how to get involved. Telling the personal story of Fehinti’s own journey into climate activism, and featuring a cast of his own family, Can I Live? demystifies activism and empowers the audience, passing them the baton.
Can I Live?, directed by Bush Theatre Associate Director Daniel Bailey (Blue/Orange, Concubine) and co-directed by Complicité’s Simon McBurney (The Encounter, The Master and Margarita), goes on a confronting, and ultimately uplifting, journey to discover the global majority activists taking a stand. After watching the filmed performance, audiences will be invited to join discussions and think through the future of our planet, as well as being provided with routes into their own activism. A full schedule of talks will be published nearer the time (details TBA).
Can I Live? was shot in the Barbican Theatre by Create Anything, a film production company dedicated to the stories of the global majority, and will embark on a digital tour, hosted by venue websites, in the lead up to and finishing at COP26 international climate conference in Glasgow. As part of a programme of activity organised by the environmental charity If Not Us Then Who? the film will be screened at Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts whilst COP26 takes place. A full schedule of talks and screenings will be released nearer the time.
Fehinti says: “I’m going to explain what climate emergency means to us practically – right now – from the perspective of a young Black man living in London. I want us to feel seen. To me it is resistance. It is activism.
In the show, I'm really focussed on speaking to the global majority community. I want to show them a reflection of themselves in this work. For a long time, I didn't hear anyone talk about climate crisis in a way that made sense to me and my experiences, and I think that is what excludes so many of us from the conversation. Yet, for many people the climate crisis is already a deadly situation. Often we don't make the connection between the colonial history of Britain and these climate extremes, or the continuation of that colonial mindset which makes it worse. Nor do we think about the thousands of immigrants who come to the UK to send money home to family struggling with climate crisis related issues: rebuilding, food, flooding. Can I Live? is about opening up the conversation, making the space for new people to be a part of it.”
Director Daniel Bailey says: “Often we're asked to validate and quantify why making art is important, useful, valuable and relevant. Well this is why, we're trying to shift the collective mindset and the attitude towards climate crisis from our perspective as global majority artists, who want to live in a better world. So you know that means saaaauce?! And we get to the source all at the same time... Music from genres that birthed a new generation of musical artists, performance from the powerhouse that is Fehinti Balogun, animation, design, movement, sound, video and science all wrapped into one story with a side of plantin' or plantain (All pronunciation welcome). We want to invite you into our lives and your own lives because this impacts us all. We wanna dance with you and rock with you until we are all a part of the solution. For a long time this conversation has been colonised and the global majority are the ones who often bear the weight of outcomes and decisions made. Today we ask you to come and be a part of this, come roll with us and let's see how we can make this place feel like home again.”
Fehinti Balogun is an actor, theatre maker and an activist. As an actor he trained at RADA and has worked in theatre, film and television, with recent performances in Walden directed by Ian Rickson on the West End, The Blue Door at Bath Theatre Royal; BBC Radio 4’s retelling of Oliver Twist and the BBC HBO television drama I May Destroy You written by Michaela Cole. Alongside his acting career, he delivers talks on the climate emergency aimed at creating a more rounded and inclusive conversation. As a result of these talks, he has toured around London and south England discussing the climate emergency and taking part in international climate discussions.
Complicité is an international touring theatre company based in London, led by Artistic Director and Co-founder Simon McBurney OBE. Complicité creates work that strengthens human interconnection, using the complicity between performer and audience that is at the heart of the theatrical experience. Recent work includes Beware of Pity, The Encounter, The Master and Margarita, Shun-kin and A Disappearing Number. Founded in 1983, the Company has won over 50 major theatre awards worldwide.
Alongside Simon McBurney’s work, the Company supports artists, including Fehinti Balogun, through the ‘Developed with Complicité’ strand. The Company is proactively responding to the climate and ecological emergency, and is a founder member of Culture Declares Emergency.
Can I Live? is a Complicité production in association with the Barbican, London, supported by Oxford Playhouse.
Running Time: 70 mins | Suitable for ages 12+
Trigger warnings: contains some flashing images, some strong language, explores themes of racism, classism and describes some violence.
Company information
Conceived, written and performed by Fehinti Balogun
Director Daniel Bailey
Dramaturg Kirsty Housley Pr
Filmed by Create Anything productions Director of Photography Stewart Kysaimire
Editor Ash J Woodward
Music Director Khalil Madovi Movement Director Dickson Mbi
Lighting Designer Asuza Ono Scenic Designer and Costume Designer Rajha Shakiry
Sound Designer Mike Winship
Projection, Animation and Visual Effects Ash J Woodward
Music written by Fehinti Balogun, Khalil Madovi, Chloe Rianna, Terell Farrell and Josh Sneesby
Cast
Featuring Fehinti Balogun
Supported by Bumni Adedeji, Terell Farrell, Khalil Madovi, Dickson Mbi, Kwami Odoom, Chloe Rianna, Ellen Thomas
and
Samia Alexandra, Nick Anim, Helen Brewer, Sara Callaway, Joshua Virasami
Pay What You Decide
We have made Can I Live? available on a Pay What You Decide basis, because it is a call to action. Long-term sustainable progress on addressing climate change and its impacts will only be possible if all parts of society are engaged, involved and empowered. We want to make the work as accessible to audiences as possible.
We invite you to consider your decision about what to pay for your experience of Can I Live? as a political decision. Thirty-eight freelance artists and activists were employed by Complicité in making Can I Live?. By supporting the work generously, you will enable us to connect even more people with brilliant art that inspires change. Pay What You Decide is an extended hand, an invitation: we want you in the room with us, and we trust you to be there on the terms that are right for you.
Listings information
On demand for 48 hours from the moment audiences click play within the dates the show is with their chosen venue.
Tickets: PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE
£1 / £5 / £10 / £15 / £20 / £50 / £150
Full tour: https://complicite.
English subtitles available
Audio description available
13 September, 7.30pm - 18 September, 11.59pm
Oxford Playhouse
PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE
Watch-along and post-film conversation: Thursday 16 Sept, 7.30pm with post-film talk 8.45pm
https://www.oxfordplayhouse.
20 September, 7.30pm - 22 September, 11.59pm
Creative Folkestone Quarterhouse
PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE
https://www.
4 October, 7.30pm - 10 October, 11.59pm
Bristol Old Vic
PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE
Watch-along and post-film conversation: Thursday 7 Oct, 7.30pm with post-film talk 8.45pm
https://bristololdvic.org.uk/
11 October, 7.30pm - 17 October, 11.59pm
HOME, Manchester (on sale 3 August 12 noon)
PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE
Watch-along and post-film conversation: Thursday 14 Oct, 7.30pm with post-film talk 8.45pm
https://homemcr.org/
18 October, 7.30pm - 24 October, 11.59pm
Cambridge Junction
PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE
Watch-along and post-film conversation: Thursday 21 Oct, 7.30pm with post-film talk 8.45pm
https://www.junction.co.uk/
1 - 12 November
Barbican Centre (on sale 1 September)
PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE
Watch-along and post-film conversation: Thursday 11 Nov, 7.30pm with post-film talk 8.45pm
15 November, 7.30pm - 21 November, 11.59pm
Theatre Royal Plymouth
PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE
Watch-along and post-film conversation: Thursday 18 Nov, 7.30pm with post-film talk 8.45pm
https://theatreroyal.com/
22 November, 7.30pm - 28 November, 11.59pm
Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts
PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE
Watch-along and post-film conversation: Thursday 25 Nov, 7.30pm with post-film talk 8.45pm
https://www.lighthousepoole.
In-person screenings
1 - 12 November
COP 26 - Glasgow
Centre for Contemporary Arts
Presented by If Not Us Then Who?
A full schedule of talks and screenings will be released nearer the time.
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