Welcome to our
report page about our project 

“Knife on the Table”
(former titles The Widening Pool AND How to Start a Knife Gang).

THIS PAGE IS STILL BEING UPDATED.

 

In summary:
We completed….

3.5 weeks of rehearsals @ The Cockpit in London,

1/2 week of tech rehearsals @ The Cockpit,

20 performances @ The Cockpit over 3 weeks,

and 5 all day workshops @ DanceWest….

plus our outreach performance. @ Sands Ends

Our workshops culminated in a fabulous performance from our workshopped participants and in front of (as well as their parents, family, friends) visiting guest audiences such as Hollywood actor Winston Ellis MBE, Muhammed Ali Jr (Muhammed Ali’s son), Todd Perotte (a member of the family of Malcolm X) Cheryl Armatrading from Anton Akpom Achievement Foundation.

For the Knife on the Table (play)… We gleaned

A 5 Star review (see below).

Several 4 Star reviews (See links below)

An Offies Award (Best Newcomer) nomination for one of our cast.
(Moyosola Olashore, playing Book)

A 3 star review from The Stage

 ★★★★★

“Final Thoughts: Would I recommend Knife on the Table? Without question! This is essential viewing. It’s a bold, thought-provoking piece that slices through the political noise, exposing the human cost at the heart of knife crime. With its minimalist design, flawless performances, and a narrative that forces us to confront the uncomfortable truths of our society, Knife on the Table is more than just theatre – it’s a stark call to action.

If there’s one show you see this week, let it be this. You must go and witness this incredibly clever, raw, and engaging production before it closes in the next few days. This is theatre that matters – don’t miss your chance to be part of the conversation.”
Full review here: https://squirrp.com/knife-on-the-table-a-bold-and-timely-drama-for-2024-at-the-cockpit-theatre/

Mobius Full Media Coverage:

https://mobius.coveragebook.com/b/345d4000a7caee36

image: @jj.waller

Knife on The Table

by Jonathan Brown

our Bruntwood-longlisted  play about knife gangs, love and family.

Top 20% of plays submitted, Verity Bargate Award 2022
“…championed by a number of readers on the reading team, and reached the later stages of the competition, incredibly impressed” Gillian Greer, Literary Manager

Knife on The Table
…combines the high intensity interspersed multilayered verbal dialogue of SU’s  The Last Lunch, (Best New Play, New Writing South 2012), the pacey energy reminiscent of Trainspotting mingled with the vibrancy of hip hop beats, touching on the issues surrounding diverse communities, battling with expectations, ambition, poverty, identity, issues of masculinity, and self betterment.

Performances 5th-26th October @ The Cockpit, Marylebone

“A moving story.….  a fascinating study  …. a stirring tragedy.
Jez Davess-Humphrey shone as Flint… faultlessly conveyed an intensely complex character, moving and amusing in equal measure. …The  leads had excellent chemistry.
Magdalene Mills … a force to be reckoned with…  Nicholas Clarke delivered an excellent performance as Danny. Rowan Armitt-Brewster delivered the most memorable performance of the night for me; his embodiment of the unstable young man’s deterioration was thrilling.
Drummer Fred Hills drove the show; his steady rhythms set the pace and tone of the performance….. original and my favourite of the director’s decisions.
The simple set up is extremely effective.., exciting, and emotional.” A Youngish Perspective

⭐⭐⭐⭐
..a story that certainly deserves to be told.

….heartbreaking, ground shaking … these stories are vital…
…a story that certainly deserves to be told.
…meticulously told to the beat of Fred Hills’ drums…. cleverly shapes the stage, every action unfolds to the mesmerising soundtrack…
..Brown made the right decision…. immaculate attention to detail... cleverly manifested…
…one of the most soul-shattering endings I have ever experienced, and one I’m still thinking about four days later…” Green Room Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐
…. extremely powerful and emotional….

“thought provoking and emotional, this is not a show you want to miss…….a show that is very important today...
We get a feel for the characters instantly, all very realistic representations.
The cast are all brilliant, portraying characters I enjoyed watching…..
Not only do we have a great script, we also have music from drummer Fred Hills throughout. Suspended above the stage, Hills plays music that suits the current mood … a great addition to the show, adding an extra layer that I didn’t know we needed….
…. extremely powerful and emotional….
Knife on the Table really delivered for me, with realistic portrayals and an overall interesting story.  I can easily say that Jonathan Brown has certainly achieved creating a show which explores the environmental drivers behind ‘the knife’, rehumanising the young people involved…. with a lot of research clearly going into the writing.” Theatre & Tonic

 

Sharp, gripping drama….
a uniformly excellent cast ..
“Sharp, gripping drama... a snapshot of the real, flawed, complex human beings behind the headlines. Longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize, Brown’s gripping script crackles with streetwise dialogue punctuated by moments of heart-stopping tenderness.
On Lillian Caccia’s sparse set of grey boxes, neon strips and a scaffold tower upon which sits a shiny metal drum kit, Jez Davess-Humphrey is electrifying as cocky 16-year-old Flint, a lowly “soldier” in his local London gang, dealing in the shadow of Grenfell as Fred Hills’ live percussion underscores the action throughout.
a uniformly excellent cast .… to Brown’s credit …his ‘villains’ are much more than two-dimensional clichés….
Brown certainly ramps up the tension, and the running time flies by.….  brings the complex causes and catastrophic effects of tragedy into sharp focus.”
The Stage

2024 Actors:

            

Emma Bakare plays Carol               Helen Ajayi plays Shania            Rowan Armitt-Brewster plays Bragg

         

Moyosola plays Book                     Jez Davess-Humphrey plays Flint             Magdalene Mills plays Chantal

                                            

Nicholas Clarke plays Danny                          Jonathan Brown plays Angel

Live Music : Fred Hills
Tech Operation : Bernie Ward
Designer: Lillian Caccia
Lighting Design : Jack Hathaway
Stage Manager : Victoria Shannon
Intimacy Coordinator : Hannah Goalstone
Director  : Marlie Haco
Assistant Director : Jonathan Brown
Project Manager : Jennifer Long
Dramaturgical and Script Editorial input : Marlie Haco
Language / Script Input : Jez Davess-Humphrey & other members of the cast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Production shots: @tobymatherphotography.

Back row L-R: Unknown from audience, Jennifer Long (PM), Destiny (participant), Winton Ellis (actor), Amal Alexander (H’wood producer?), Cheryl Armatrading (founder, AAA Foundation), Muhammed Ali Jr, Todd Perotte (Malcolm X Family Foundation), Martin Deccan (MXFF), Fred Hills (drummer), Jonathan Brown (artistic dir, Something Underground)
Middle Row L-R: Anaia (participant), Sunanda Biswas (dance teacher), Helen Ajayi (actor), Noah (participant), Rowan Armitt Brewster (standing, actor), Emma Bakare (actor), Iliyas (participant), Nick Clarke (hidden, actor)
Front Row L-R: unknown from audience, Ethan (participant), Sahara (participant), Isaac (participant), Selina (participant), 2 unknowns from audience.

About the play….

Knife on The Table is about friendship, loyalty, gang culture, family & knife crime..
Although the project revolves around text, we again wish to include visceral dance, music & physicality.

 

 

KOTT Webpage:

https://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/the-widening-pool/

KOTT Performance Images:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EbN_bT_rxs22a-28qoxO9VJ2BO1H_8DT?usp=sharing

Our Project had two strands:

(i) Performance:
@ The Cockpit, Oct 5-26 2024 (20 performances)

(ii) Community Engagement:

5 x Free All-day Workshops for Young People 31 Aug – 29 Sept
@ DanceWest Studios, Fulham
(Workshop Info & Sign up Click Here)

We..

• Engaged young people from the area, integrating & partnering local youth groups daily dealing with the issues
• Ran a series of five free day-long workshops for young people on issues of knife crime, gangs, youth culture.
• Workshopped those participants in hip hop related dance.
• Culminated by including joint public performances by the participants and the professional performers.
• Created a legacy of ongoing connection between local dance teachers & young people, (we are in conversations with street dance teachers to connect the participants to local events and classes).

We worked with Street  dance teacher / choreographer Sunanda Biswas , and live musician Fred Hills

FIND OUT MORE

Our Partners included….

• A Free workshop from Ben Kinsella Trust
• A Free workshop from Penificent
• Street dance from Sunanda Biswas
• Theatre in put from Jonathan Brown
• Physical Theatre and Spoken word exercises that we developed towards our performance.
• Short Scripted pieces to learn and perform
• Live Music from Fred Hills
• Circle time and discussion on the issues of knife crime.
• Working alongside the actors from Knife on the Table.
• Free lunches, snacks, drinks and transport.
• Culminated in a fanstastic community performance of street dance, physical theatre, drama, & spoken word in front of (as well as their parents, family, friends) visiting guest audiences such as Hollywood actor Winston Ellis MBE, Muhammed Ali Jr (Muhammed Ali’s son), Todd Perotte (a member of the family of Malcolm X) Cheryl Armatrading from Anton Akpom Achievement Foundation.
  

  Outreach Webpage:

  https://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/how-to-start-a-knife-gang-outreach-programme/

  Outreach Workshop Images:

  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IA8TMds60As5O1Tjv65kM-ybh8v6XII3?usp=sharing

  Outreach Performance images:

  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nnLF2mwFslI6hJeYjaOusxSWZ7KLohPx?usp=sharing

Selected: for the “Pitch Up” Event  @ The Place, London, 2019, hosted by Farnham Maltings & House Theatre Org.

Rehearsed Reading: Lewes, Sept 2019.

Rehearsed Reading, Fitzroy House, Lewes.

“Knife On The Table is well staged, well performed and explores subjects of real relevance with authenticity and intelligence. The run at The Cockpit, a stones throw from Grenfell and North Paddington communities, drew the attention of young people themselves but also of their families and those working with them, who are often segregated from the social, financial and political realities negotiated by young urban populations in contemporary city settings.
Knife on the table is a timely, genuine and provocative show – but it also represents good process: an important kind of work making genuine efforts to engage with and understand how urban youth culture operates and sometimes normalises problematic behaviour and survival strategies.
I’m pleased and proud The Cockpit supported the show with endorsement as a Cockpit Theatre Maker Project, with a supportive financial deal and a working in-the-round workshop for its young director.
I would unreservedly recommend the show, particularly in the context of wrap-around workshops, q&a sessions or similar.” Dave Wybrow, Manager, The Cockpit

 

“Knife on The Table” Directed by Jonathan Brown, powerfully explores the entrapment young people face due to their circumstances- whether environmental, financial or familial. The performance exceptional bringing authenticity to the characters and their struggles. This production is a must see for its poignant story telling and emotional depth.
Congratulations to Jonathan and the entire team for a compelling performance

Cheryl Armatrading
Antoin Akpom Achievements Foundation

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Review: Workshops for Knife on the Table Led by Jonathan Brown
Jonathan Brown brought a remarkable dimension to his work through a series of children’s workshops featuring themes from the play. These workshops provided not only a creative outlet but also a safe and supportive environment for children to develop their artistic skills, build confidence, and foster resilience.
Brown’s dedication to nurturing young talent was evident in every aspect of the program. Through dynamic exercises and guided rehearsals, the children were encouraged to explore complex emotions and themes from the play, using art as a medium for self-expression.
The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the children’s final performances. Watching them was both heartwarming and inspiring. Each child demonstrated growth, & courage. Their passion and creativity reflected the supportive environment Brown had cultivated throughout the sessions.
Adding to the significance of the event was the presence of Muhammad Ali Jr., son of the legendary Muhammad Ali, who presented trophies to the children for their hard work and dedication. This moment added an extra layer of celebration and recognition, making the experience even more memorable for the young performers.
Jonathan Brown’s workshops are a testament to the power of theatre and mentorship in empowering the next generation. By fostering resilience and confidence through art, he has left a lasting impact on these young individuals and their communities.”
Dr W️inston George Ellis MBE

Crowdfund Page:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/how-to-start-a-knife-gang

 

Additional Thanks to
https://www.thirdsectoraccountancy.coop/
DanceWest
Sands End Arts and Community Centre
Peckham Levels
Sapphire Community Group