knock down

In partnership with Brixton House, Dropped Tea presents

Knock Down is a promenade, site-specific production journeying along Brixton. A collaboration between local talent and local businesses to celebrate and explore the memories and stories of those who call Brixton home.

Five artists raised in Brixton will create short pieces exploring their relationship to the area they grew up in. As the streets around us change and shift, Knock Down focuses on the voices of the communities who have existed here and take a deeper look into the lives shaped by South London.

This production is brought to you by Dropped Tea, a theatre company born and raised in South London, formed by theatre makers Jesse Bateson, Nassy Konan and Eva Bradley-Williams.

7-9 Oct 2022: Fri-Sun, 1.00pm, 3.30pm, 6.00pm, 8.30pm Various locations in and around Brixton // £15, £12 concessions

Creative Team

Director

Rebekah Murrell

Produced by

Dropped Tea Theatre: Jesse Bateson, Eva Bradley-Williams, Nassy Konan

Audience reviews from Knock Down, in partnership with Theatre Peckham 2021:

“An adventure. An education. A shared journey.”

‘Beautiful connections with the local areas… made me think of my own.”

“Quality. Strong. Felt proud to be from here. Really from here.”

“Powerful. Expressive. Entertaining. Moving. Emotional.”

knock down

artists & venues

Alex Wheatle at Lambeth Town Hall

Alex Wheatle MBE is an award-winning author who won the Guardian Children’s Book award in 2016 (for ‘Crongton Knights’). The fourth film in Steve McQueen’s highly acclaimed SMALL AXE series (entitled 'Alex Wheatle') which recently aired on BBC 1, is based on Alex’s life, his experience in care, his teenage years in Brixton and being jailed as part of the Brixton Uprising in 1981. Alex is the author of ‘Home Girl’, ‘Straight Outta Crongton’, ‘Island Songs’, ‘The Dirty South’, and many more critically acclaimed novels. Alex will be one of our commissioned writers.

Lambeth Town Hall: Built in 1908, Lambeth Town Hall is the HQ of the local council. Alex Wheatle will use their Edwardian circular landing space beneath the clock tower which overlooks the thriving high street for his piece.

Michael Balogun at Brixton House

Michael Balogun is an award-winning actor born and raised in the borough of Lambeth, South London. A lack of direction with a dysfunctional family led Balogun into a life of crime. After various prison sentences, Michael eventually found his passion for acting and decided to pursue a career path in the arts. Once released he auditioned for a number of schools and gained a place at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Since graduating Michael has gone on to perform in various theatre productions and tv shows. The critically acclaimed ‘People, Places & Things’, ‘Barbershop Chronicles’, Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and many more. After the pandemic Michael performed the one man show ‘Death of England’ which reopened the National Theatre. He has also performed in the hit NETFLIX shows, ‘Top Boy’ and ‘You Don’t Know Me’. In 2021 Michael was listed on the prestigious Stage 100 and was nominated for Best Actor at the Black British Theatre Awards, and ‘Death of England’ won Best Play at the Visionary Awards.

Brixton House: A new theatre in the heart of the Brixton community with a mission to purposefully curate spaces for their community to connect, create and enjoy making them the perfect partner for a project of this nature. Brixton House will host Michael's piece.

Thea Gajić at the Ritzy Cinema

Thea Gajić is an actress, writer and director born and raised in South London. Her first short film ‘Run’ was selected as BFI Postroom’s Pick of The Month, Short of The Week and won New Talent Award at BFI Future Film Fest. It also earned her a Sundance Ignite Fellowship. Her second short film ‘The Importance of Skin’ premiered via Short of The Week and screened at BFI. Thea has gone on to make a handful of other short narrative works, including her Film London funded ‘Eli’, and after finishing iFeatures is now developing her debut feature film ‘Surviving Earth’ with the BFI.

Ritzy Cinema: The legendary Ritzy Cinema is a popular and much-loved destination for film-lovers at the heart of a bright and bustling Brixton scene. The Ritzy’s Edwardian exterior and main auditorium remain intact and stand as an impressive example of early cinema architecture. The Ritzy will host Thea’s piece in their upstairs bar space.

Jannelle Reece-Gardner at Round Table Books

Jennelle Reece-Gardneris a 27-year-old poet and writer, who over the past few years has performed her spoken word pieces in venues around London. Having a keen interest in current events, her poetry touches on themes of womanhood, social/ racial injustice, uplifting other young adults and the trials and tribulations of trying to find one’s identity.Most recently, she wrote and recorded an untitled piece for a play called ‘A Final Act Of Friendship’ performed at The Bridge House Theatre in May 2022.

Round Table Books: An inclusion-led bookshop selling books for every reader, in the heart of Brixton, London. Round Table Books exists to celebrate underrepresented children’s books, writers, and illustrators. Round Table Books will host Jenelle’s piece in their intimate shop in Brixton Village.

Sola Olulode at Black Cultural Archives

Sola Olulode British-Nigerian artist who creates delicate portrayals of queer love through her figurative works. Influenced by Yoruba Adire textiles, Olulode renders intimate scenes of romance and Black womanhood. Her works are lively yet potent; we witness tender narratives unfold across the canvas. Olulode was featured in Artsy’s 2021 ‘Portrayals of Black Joy‘ campaign, which saw her work appear on public screens within the transit systems of several major U.S. cities. Sola will be one of our commissioned creatives.

Black Cultural Archives: Black Cultural Archives (BCA) is the home of Black British History. Located in Windrush Square, BCA has a mission to collect, preserve and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK and to inspire and give strength to individuals, communities, and society. BCA will host Sola’s powerful pieces in their upstairs meeting room. Image credit © Nina Robinson