ILLUMINATE YOUR CHARACTER

1. ILLUMINATE YOUR CHARACTER

3. Learn. Being a young adult between the ages can be a very confusing time. Even more confusing when trying to figure out who they are and where they fit into their social society. Statistics show… “In 2015, the majority (93.7%) of the UK population identified themselves as heterosexual or straight, with 1.7% identifying as LGB, the remainder either identifying as “other”, “don’t know” or refusing to respond. Young adults (16 to 24 year olds) are more likely to identify as LGBT compared with older age groups, and a higher proportion of males identify as LGBT than females.” - Pamela Cobb, Population Statistics Division, Office for National Statistics But since then statistics have increased majorly. We are always influenced by others bravery to speak out. But there are always other around that might not fully understand the natural struggle members of the LGBTQ community overcome. Those are the young adults we are targeting. During interviews and research we have carried out it is a fact that some young adults struggle when discussing the topic of ‘coming out’. It was beautiful hearing stories of students transgender, bisexual and gay coming out at the young age of 15! So we came up with a solution – as we always do.

4. Grow. Brought to you by writer of Memories and also Artistic Director of Leading Light, Belinda Barrett. We are bringing workshops to your sixth forms and colleges (16-19) of not only how to connect with a character but to illuminate it. Through many exercises about their characters journey before and after the play through the power of improvisation. We will then focus on what is the most effective way of connecting to a character that we may not necessarily understand – using Memories We Lost in the Fire. Focusing in partners we will bring the first two scenes into the class. Focusing on the themes within the story but also the things that the characters may not want to say but can’t. Including a pregnancy, urges and many other twists and turns! Each pair will be given a page or two. And by the end of the class they will perform the first two scenes as a class.

5. Conquer WHY? Because going through the struggle is a big step but understanding what others go through when coming out is important. ALSO WHY? Because bringing energy to a script is great but bringing the character off the script is even more important. Illuminate that character and watch it conquer! BUT HOW? We as a company do not believe every role in this play is gender specific so why should we perform it this way on the day! Both Taylor and Charlie can be played by females during the second scene. Let’s get in and see what works! The workshops we lead in our sessions can also be used in future rehearsals, supporting the students in the curriculum, giving them the ability to develop the ability to explore material through the rehearsal methods we teach in our workshops encouraging their directorial vision and theatre making potential.

6. Winner of the Best New Writing at the International Gay Theatre Festival Bath Fringe 2017 **** Leading Light Collective presents… Memories We Lost in the Fire Lies, sex and broken promises. A brand new play which tells the story of Charlie, Jenny and Taylor, three lives that become perilously intertwined. ‘Witty, poignant and sometimes moving insight into the world of young people coming to terms with who they are’ ‘A powerful piece of young people’s theatre’

7. Script Containment • Themes Include: Coming of age, identity, lust, love, deceit, ambition. • Explicit Language • Scenes of a sexual nature • Mature Themes • No audience interaction

8. Memories We Lost In the Fire – Why now? We live in a world where there is increasing discussion surrounding the topic of sexual identity. Figures in popular culture have begun openly expressing their sexual identities outside of the visible heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual, expanding to the more reticent pansexual, polysexual and asexual. Young people consume pop culture now more than ever and according to statistics are much more likely to identify as such over the older generations. Representation of these identities is important, with Memories We Lost In the Fire we follow Charlie, a young person who finds himself in love with two people. His struggle to balance his feelings for both of them, a man and a woman respectively, although portrayed dramatically, this is a manifestation of the conflict that young people coming to terms with their identity face.

9. During Memories We Lost In the Fire we follow Charlie and how he negotiates his relationships with Taylor and Jenny. When we first meet Charlie and Jenny it is established they are in a romantic and sexual relationship, the audience are therefore presented with Charlie’s heterosexuality. • Charlie: Jen, it’s uni, not prison. I’ve still got holidays and a phone. • Jenny: Not the same though is it? • Charlie: Maybe you could make a few conjugal visits. • Jenny: Is that all you think about? • Charlie: No. But it does take up at least 85 per cent. • It isn’t until Charlie and Taylor share a kiss when this assumptive heterosexuality is thrown into question. It is revealed that Charlie has never had any homosexual encounters before: • Taylor: I want to, god, I want to. But I can’t... • Charlie: Yeah, we can’t... • Taylor and Charlie kiss again. • Charlie: I’ve never...

10. Who is Charlie? In the queering of Charlie’s sexuality the audience are presented with questioning what Charlie’s sexuality is, has he always known he has had these desires? Is he questioning and experimenting with his sexuality, is this a momentary lapse in his otherwise heterosexual relationship with Jenny? Throughout the rest of the play this question is played on, it almost seems resolved when Charlie appears to remain faithful in his relationship to Jenny: Charlie: I’m sorry, I’ve been shit I know and I don’t want to hurt your feelings but I’m not… Taylor: What? Gay? A poof? A fag? Charlie: No I’m not. Taylor: Then what would you call the last three months? A fluke? Charlie: It’s been fun but I’m with Jen, I love Jen. However, Taylor and Charlie continue their relationship and Charlie’s infidelity is made apparent to the audience. What we try to establish is that Charlie although dishonest is in love with two people. There are pros and cons in both relationships, and Charlie’s own indecision hurts the potential of either relationship to grow. In the final scene Charlie makes the feelings of his own confusion known: Charlie:…I must have missed the memo because I know, right now, in this moment, I love you both.

11. Reviews. Bath Fringe 2017 4 STARS. The initial premise of a play about fresher students, written by a student and performed by students has cliché written all over it. NOT so in this little theatrical gem from Belinda Barrett. We first meet Charlie (Matthew Fitzgerald) and Jenny (Sofia Caley) coming to terms with the fact that their relationship is going to change when he becomes a student away from home. Introduce into the mix new flatmate Taylor (Daniel Lewis) and suddenly we have a well-delivered plot with more twists and turns than a month of East Enders. Without giving away any of the story line, Boy 1 meets girl, boy 1 meets boy 2 , girl meets boy 2 and the rest is a story you will see the world over! With tight direction from Lacey Ruttley we are treated to a witty, poignant and sometimes moving insight into the world of young people coming to terms with who they are and how they want others to see them. Lots of tears and laughter and not to mention the best one-liner I’ve heard during the fringe. London Theatre Reviews 4 STARS. Can we love two people? And what if these two people are a woman and a man? In a plot very much twisted - with fights, pregnancies, marriage proposals and plenty of drama - we follow the young lives of Charlie. And Taylor. And Jennie. Funny and poignant moments are made believable by the freshness of the three actors. And also by a situation that is not so uncommon. Homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality, pansexuality. Aren't just names? Aren't we just what we are?

12. Best New Writing: International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival Belinda Barrett knows how to write a play and a good one. This young playwright brings us into the lives of Charlie a creative writing student, his childhood sweetheart, now girlfriend Jen and his new flat mate, the beautiful Taylor. This is a gripping story of young love, lust, bisexuality and choices. Beautifully cast and played, these three actors combine in an exciting tale that twists, turns and reveals the dilemmas when young love clashes with emerging sexuality. Taylor knows who he is, Jen knows what she wants and Charlie seems to want it all. Barret has a keen sense of dramatic tension which is timed expertly to keep the audience both charmed by the characters and on the edge of their seats. This is very fine theatre bringing the best of new voices to LGBTQ theatre.  The play turned out to be beautiful. Belinda Barrett's piece, which she’s been developing since her undergraduate years, and continuing to work on since graduation, is already a mature work. Played with great truth and intensity by a cast of three, it tells the story of a young man heading to university, leaving behind (or not) his high school girlfriend, and becoming involved with a classmate at college. The play provides the second bisexual character of the evening, and it was one of the most satisfying things I’ve seen this year. Belinda Barrett is going to be an important new voice in theatre.

13. Learn. Grow. Conquer.