Off the Page: Guardian and Royal Court

‘OFF THE PAGE’ IS A UNIQUE COLLABORATION BETWEEN ROYAL COURT PLAYWRIGHTS, THEATRE DIRECTORS AND GUARDIAN JOURNALISTS TO CREATE SIX STATE-OF-THE–NATION MICROPLAYS.

Off the Page is a unique collaboration where Guardian journalists have partnered with Royal Court playwrights, theatre directors and a company of actors to create a series of six microplays, around 5 minutes long, responding to key areas of news coverage. The films have been viewed more than 115,000 times in total so far.

In addition, the Royal Court Theatre and Guardian Live will host a screening of all six plays in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs on Friday 5 December. Tickets available here

BRITAIN ISN’T EATING explores food banks and our obsession with cookery shows. Starring Katherine Parkinson and Kyle Soller, it is a collaboration between playwright Laura Wade, director Carrie Cracknell and food blogger and regular Guardian contributor Jack Monroe. Find out how it was made here

GROOVE IS IN THE HEART is a tale of music and memory that explores our changing relationship with technology. Starring Ruby Ashbourne Serkis and Tobias Menzies, the microplay is a collaboration between playwright Robin French, director Bijan Sheibani and music and politics journalist John Harris. Find out how it was made here

DEATH OF ENGLAND stars Rafe Spall as a grieving son whose funeral speech turns into an elegy for his father, for the national football team and for a country torn apart by its identity crisis. It is a collaboration between playwright Roy Williams, director Clint Dyer and Guardian sports writer Barney Ronay. Find out how it was made here

PPE stars David Annen, Cyril Nri and Eileen Walsh and explores the public’s struggle to keep in step with politicians during the fallout of the financial crisis. The microplay is written by Tim Price and directed by Hamish Pirie with choreography by Ann Yee after a conversation with Aditya Chakrabortty. Find out how it was made here

DEVIL IN THE DETAIL is a dressing-room drama about the politics of fashion starring Pippa Bennett-Warner, Lucy Ellinson and Vanessa Kirby. This microplay was written by Chloe Moss and directed by Christopher Haydon, after a conversation with Hadley Freeman. Find out how it was made here

SCHOOL GATE depicts an after-school encounter capturing two parents’ hopes and fears for their children’s future. The microplay stars Anna Maxwell Martin and Liz White. SCHOOL GATE was written by Rachel De-lahay and directed by Gbolahan Obisesan, after a conversation with Richard Adams, Sally Weale and Michael Rosen. Find out how it was made here

All six microplays are available to view now on the theguardian.com

Guardian Live and the Royal Court present the Big Idea: Off The Page – a celebratory screening of all six films, with introductions from the artists and journalists involved, at the Royal Court on Friday 5 December at 6pm, tickets are £10. Further details and ticketing information is available at www.royalcourttheatre.com
and www.membership.theguardian.com/events