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Another Eavesdropping

Another Eavesdropping was the fourth instalment of our unique verbatim theatre concept and played at The Jack Studio Theatre in September-October 2022.
 
Every word on stage was transcribed directly from overheard conversations had by members of the general public, which were loud enough to be eavesdropped by one of the cast.
 
Anyone who was overheard was a complete stranger to us, speaking in a public place. Any names and locations mentioned were changed before the scenes went to rehearsal and the characters simply denoted by a letter or number. The original location of where the conversations were eavesdropped was never disclosed. The sequence of vignettes was therefore anonymous. In rehearsal, we explored potential settings, characters and relationships in a bid to breathe life into the raw text before us. Our aim was to find an interesting dramatic context for each scene. They were musings, chats and rants which provided quite a unique window on the world. Some were funny, some tragic and others thought provoking. We had several hundred eavesdrops (gathered in July and August) to consider and selected the ones we felt best reflected the attitudes and opinions of those living their lives in and around London in 2022.
 
Reimagined, yes… theatricalised, yes… but every word on stage we heard spoken openly in a public place.

Thank you to OnlineCarpets for their support with supplying flooring for the production 

Reviews

Broadway World – 4 stars
 
“It's a lot of fun”!
 
“A composite portrait of how we live today, the frustrations, the fears, the follies”.
 
“Splendid ensemble cast”.
 
“Acting in this genre of theatre is a specific skill… met with charm and generosity by the cast”.
 
“Bravo! for engaging with life as it's lived today, taking on a relatively rare and always tricky form and getting as many laughs from the house as I've heard pretty much anywhere this year”.
 
“London needs this cheeky, affectionate look at itself right now to sustain it through the dark nights to come - and you do gain a renewed faith that the men and women we've seen in the play will get through”.
 
 
 
London Theatre 1 – 4 stars
 
“A rapid-fire production”.
 
“Thoroughly entertaining”.
 
“A captivating insight into what people are talking about these days”.
 
“Gloriously apolitical”.
 
“An intriguing portrait of city living, it’s an enjoyable and energetic production”.

Audience Feedback

“Thoroughly enjoyed this spectacular piece of Verbatim Theatre! Another Eavesdropping is a hilarious and thought provoking ecliptic compilation of humanity, and very well performed too”.
Ruggero Barlaba
 
“Amazing verbatim performance given by the cast. A cheeky glimpse into snippets of our real world with its different colours and emotions.”
Lucy Dreyer
 
“So enjoyed Another Eavesdropping. A talented company of 12 sharing a collection of real overheard conversations - funny, moving & compelling.”
Julia Stubbs
 
“Brilliantly performed & some excellent directorial moments”.
Sara Dee
 
“John Patterson deftly directs a talented ensemble to shine a light on overheard current obsessions in some walks of life”.
Stephen Donald
 
Another Eavesdropping is excellent”.
Dirk vom Lehn
 
“Someone has been listening in on your conversations! Funny, provocative and relatable”!
Barbara Garfath
 
Another Eavesdropping is clever, funny, engaging & heart-breaking. All the more poignant that these are real conversations lifted surreptitiously by the cast from everyday life. Slick direction of a faultless cast proves there’s nowt queer as folk”.
Malcolm Jeffries

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