Members of Brave Words pay-what-you-can youth theatres in Beeston, Seacroft, and Meanwood are preparing to take their latest theatrical adventure to Leeds Playhouse!
The year is 2090, and everything from work and education to diet and exercise is automated by one single app: ICU. ICU tracks everyone, with one supposed purpose – to make everyone happy all the time. Back in 2030, when ICU was created, it seemed like a great idea. The world was struggling after pandemics, a global economic crash, and worldwide mental health issues.
But AI is only as good as the humans who created it, and the CEO of ICU is hiding a dark and desperate past which has led him to seek to control people like never before. In a world controlled by social media and artificial intelligence, where self-expression is not just encouraged, but mandatory, happiness shouldn’t be hard to find; the app ICU provides comfort 24/7. But comfort always comes at a cost.
‘The Thing About Happiness…’, created by the young cast, follows Eddy, Ira and their fish & chip-mad friends as they uncover the horrifying reality behind a life of easy scrolling and confront ICU’s evil CEO in their search for the truth, their Grandpa Artie, and happiness.
Truly led and developed by six of Brave Words’ youth theatre groups, and co-produced with their Young Producers, the young people are really excited to be featured on the Quarry stage at Leeds Playhouse as part of their Open Season. Youth Director, Fran, notes:
“In co-creating this show, the young cast have explored topics which may seem bleak and difficult. But we are living in challenging times, and at Brave Words, we believe that it is better to discuss, shed light on, and creatively engage with subjects which might seem too scary to cover at school or even home. Our children are seeing people like Trump and Musk running the world and, after creating this performance with them, I can confidently say they don’t want this! Their opinions and voices will shape the future and I strongly believe they are about to make the world a much better place! Their compassion, humility, joy and creativity have shown that they are capable of envisioning a much better world and I look forward to seeing them achieve their dreams.”
All of Brave Words youth theatres are pay-what-you-can and based in local communities. With a focus on creating an environment that is fun and welcoming, where children and young people can learn performing skills, make new pieces of theatre, grow their confidence and express themselves creatively. All groups work as micro theatre companies to tell the stories they want to tell, amplifying youth voice across the city!
‘The Ting About Happiness’ is performed at Leeds Playhouse on Saturday 12 July at 6pm.
Tickets for the show are pay-what-you-can and can be purchased through Leeds Playhouse here. Brave Words would like to thank their funders for making this work possible.
This post was written by Rheanna Atkinson
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