Jails, Hospitals and Hip Hop @ the Lyric

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One of New York’s foremost Hip Hop artists performs the London premiere of his solo theatre show, looking at Hip Hop’s global influence on a whole generation.

Danny Hoch, founder of the Hip Hop Theatre Festival, has created a special performance for his first UK tour. Jails, Hospitals and Hip Hop combines some of his most successful previous work: his highly acclaimed play of the same title; excerpts from his performances on US TV - HBO's Def Poetry; and a chance to check out material from his new play Till the Break of Dawn.

Danny Hoch was born in 1970 in Brooklyn, a third-generation New Yorker growing up during the birth of Hip Hop culture in a towering brick and asphalt outer-borough neighbourhood. He trained as an actor, learning to play everything from Molière and Tennessee Williams to Samuel Beckett and Shakespeare.

Although he describes his teachers as wonderful and the training as intense, he felt he was being trained to drop the languages he grew up with. To be a “successful” actor, he had to forget all of the rich language that was his whole cultural foundation. He was being groomed for Broadway shows, movies, and TV shows that had nothing to do with the people or stories from his community, or his generation.

“Tom Stoppard and Harold Pinter don’t write about Grandmaster Flash or disco bar-mitzvahs or mofongo. To put it Brooklyn-style: Showboat and Sideshow ain’t got nothin’ to do with my life. I had mad beef with this situation.” Danny Hoch

Danny decided to make his own theatre. All of the stories, voices and characters that he felt were important he put on stage. He “wrote” orally in front of audiences, called it structured improvisation and boom - he had a show!

Jails, Hospitals and Hip Hop is part of theMIX - a groundbreaking season of work in the Lyric Studio that offers the chance to check out new work by some of the sharpest artists making theatre today. During autumn 05 and spring 06, the Studio will be buzzing with a packed line-up of readings, works in progress and performances.

Jails, Hospitals and Hip Hop is suitable for ages 14+ (contains some strong language).

Created and performed by: Danny Hoch

Tues 1 - Fri 4 November 2005
Excerpts from the original production of Jails, Hospitals, and Hip-Hop directed by Jo Bonney and commissioned by Berkeley Repertory Theatre. All other material directed by Danny Hoch.

Performance schedule:
Evenings 8pm: Tues 1 - Fri 4 November

Ticket prices:
£1 off all tickets bought online before 1 Nov
Studio £7s - all tickets £7 on 1 Nov
Adults £12
Under 16s & concessions £7
16 - 25s & students £6

 

October 2, 2005