5.30pm, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL

Platforma presents a free performance by Bards Without Borders in support of Nine Lives at Arcola Theatre.

Bards Without Borders (BWB) brings together poets from refugee and migrant backgrounds to create new writing and performance in response to the work of William Shakespeare. Their first gig last month was sold out, and they are now working on new material for performances throughout 2016 – the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

BWB is led by poet/facilitator Laila Sumpton and theatre director Arne Pohlmeier (Two Gents) with support from Platforma / Counterpoints Arts. BWB poets: Freddy Macha, Tolu Agbelusi, Shamim Azad, Alia’ Kuwalit, Belinda Zhawi, Edin Suljic, Lloyd Benjamin, Haroon O Mahdi, Barbara Lopez, Fatima Diriye, Hamdi Khalif.

Nine Lives is a gripping new play from Zodwa Nyoni (Channel 4 Writer in Residence 2014) threading together humour and humanity to tell the real personal story behind asylum headlines. Former West Yorkshire Playhouse Associate Director Alex Chisholm directs Lladel Bryant, UK Young Citizen of the Year in 2006 and the co-founder of Chicken Shop Shakespeare.

Full details about Nine Lives, and free booking for Bards Without Borders: https://www.arcolatheatre.com/production/arcola/nine-lives

Image by Briony Campbell