News: Diverse writers present new monologues filmed on empty stages in London theatres

The Mono Box and Apatan Productions present Reset the Stage, a collection of seven filmed monologues written by seven emerging, ethically diverse writers performed by established actors. They will be performed on the empty stages of seven London theatres in lockdown.

The production will be streamed live online on Thursday 17 June at 7:30pm.

The series of short films features Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Star Wars: Rogue One, Sex Education), Ken Nwosu (Killing Eve, Sticks & Stones) and Danny Kirrane (Don’t Forget the Driver, Peterloo).

The evening will be presented by Patrons of The Mono Box, Sir Derek Jacobi, Youssef Kerkour, Susan Wokoma and James Norton.

Ticket sales raise money for the continual work of the company nurturing and providing opportunities to emerging theatre talent.

Reset the Stage was created during COVID-19 as a platform for ethnically diverse writers’ voices to be heard at a time when we need them the most. Through mentorship with leading playwrights including Duncan Macmillan, Alice Birch, Lucy Prebble and Theresa Ikoko these seven young writers have been encouraged to speak boldly about where they are and where they would like to be.

All the pieces have been directed by Roberta Zuric, who was part of The Mono Box’s PLAYSTART new writing programme in 2018 and was mentored by Ned Bennett.

Shows include The Madness, written by Dipo Baruwa-Etti, mentored by Alice Birch and performed by Sharon Duncan-Brewster at the Almeida Theatre.

An actress breaks into an empty theatre, where she is forced to confront her relationship with fiction, reality, and how their overlap has impacted her life.

Screams is written by Kiran Benawra, mentored by Duncan Macmillan and is performed by Thalissa Teixeira at the Arcola Theatre.

Grieving the start, middle and end of her first meaningful romantic relationship, a woman struggles to let out her true emotions surrounding the break-up.

Daniel is written by Charles Entsie, mentored by Nathaniel Martello-White and is performed by Ken Nwosu at Bush Theatre.

Set within the bounds of a toilet cubicle, a man in a moment of existential crisis finds himself reliving what’s been and what could be.

Joy is written by Roberta Livingston, mentored by Theresa Ikoko and performed by Joan Iyiola at the Young Vic.

It’s a Saturday night in East London and a recently dumped Joy is at a rave with her girls. But when she’s pulled in by an alluring woman on the dancefloor her night takes an unexpected turn. 

Sharia’s Law is written by maatin, mentored by Inua Ellams and is performed by Shane Zaza at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

A man looks back on past encounters as he contemplates his relationship to faith and to the theatre.

Rush is written by Sid Sagar, mentored by Bijan Sheibani and is performed by Danny Kirrane at Southwark Playhouse.

After a roadside altercation, Chris prepares to face the legal consequences and ponders the events which led him to this moment. Rush asks what it is to be good in a world that feels increasingly divided.

Cynthia is written by Vivan Xie, mentored by Lucy Prebble and is performed by Isabella Laughland at Soho Theatre.

As she struggles to form an online tribute to her deceased childhood friend, a young woman must reconcile her past actions and the complicated relationship they shared. 

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