British rapper and winner of the 2009 Mercury Music Prize Speech Debelle performs tracks from her new album Breathe in a special one off gig at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs. Speech will be accompanied by her full live band. The album is scheduled to be released in January 2016, produced by Speech over the last year alongside Nick Trepka with writing from Neil Cowley (Neil Cowley Jazz Trio) and Mike Lindsay (Spinnin’).
Collaborating with the Royal Court Theatre Speech will create a short music film which will include audience members attending this one-off event. The film will centre around her upcoming single Terms and Conditions which features backing vocals from Shingai Shinowa (Nosiettes) and Baby Sol. The filming will take place in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs with special instructions emailed to all ticket holders.
You will be hearing Speech’s new album, live, for the first time ever and will be part of the filming of an immersive music video with BAFTA Award winning actress Georgina Campbell. By attending you are agreeing to filmed and to be part of the video.
The gig will start promptly at 8pm and is approx. 45 minutes long. The filming of the video for Speech’s new single TERMS AND CONDITIONS will then take place, lasting a further 45 minutes (approx).
Dress code: as the audience will be seen in the music video, please come wearing your own take on dressed up/evening wear – sticking to black, white, grey, silver, cream and gold etc. No strong colours please.
Georgina Campbell has been cast to appear in Speech Debelle’s live performance and short film.
Ed Sayers will direct, with cinematography by Eben Bolter, who previously worked on the Royal Court’s Off The Page micro-plays in partnership with The Guardian.
Speech Debelle won the 2009 Mercury Prize for her debut album Speech Therapy. Speech’s single Spinnin from her second album Freedom of Speech, released in 2012, was re-worked by Tinchy Stryder and used as one of the official anthems of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In February 2012, Speech released her follow-up album, Freedom of Speech, Trebuchet Magazine described Speech as ‘a fiery, if naïve, seeker of justice and truth’, and said “she has a cracked lusciousness to her voice that strongly recalls Martina Topley-Bird’s most meltingly sexy moments on Tricky’s Maxinquaye. MTV gave the album 5/5 stars, and said, “What makes this a truly great hip hop album is that her words, piling up on one another, take on the quality of incantations – and that those incantations take on a life of their own.” According to All Music in a review (4/5 stars), “Speech Debelle is now the most interesting and possibly the most exciting British MC on the scene.” Speech’s third album entitled Breathe. is scheduled for release, January 2016. The first single Terms and Conditions which features backing vocals from Shingai Shinowa (Noisettes) and Miss Baby Sol will be released August 2015.
Ed Sayers has worked as a producer and director in London production companies and ad agencies alike. With Mother London and Saatchi & Saatchi, Ed helped to create a range of live and filmed events, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival show Pot Noodle The Musical and the T-Mobile live event ads: Dance at Liverpool Street Station and Singalong in Trafalgar Square. Ed has directed short films including Goldfish with Michael Fassbender. His first music video was for Handsome Boy Modeling School and most recently for Ivor Novello nominated band Bear’s Den. Ed founded the super 8 short film competition straight 8 in 1999.
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