Benedict Power: Productions

Heather and Carla haven’t seen each other since school. Their lives have taken two very different paths. Carla lives a hand-to-mouth existence, while Heather has a high-flying career, a husband, and a beautiful home. But Heather also has a problem, and presents Carla with a bag full of cash and an unexpected proposition…

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s electric thriller asks: how far beyond the playground we carry our childhood experiences, and what lengths we are willing to go to in coming to terms with them?

'An absolute tornado of twists and turns that have you gripped from start to finish.'
NORTH WEST END ★★★★

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Cast/Crew

SPRING REIGN
Written by Rob Johnston
Originated, produced and directed by Benedict Power

A story from the Syrian conflict, made in association with Rethink Rebuild (Manchester's Syrian Community Organisation), with support from Imperial War Museum North. The production went on a successful National Tour during Spring 2017, supported by Arts Council England, to venues including The Lowry, Nottingham Playhouse, The Albany and Harrogate Theatre. This highly acclaimed original play is based on real-life accounts collected from Syrian refugees, aid workers, activists, journalists and photographers; featuring live performance, original music and frontline photography.

Syria has descended into chaos and Aleppo is besieged. Salah and Aisha have lost control of their lives and are plunging headlong into an uncertain future. The Syria they hoped to change is gone, in its place, violence and destruction - the arbitrary brutality of war. With the unexpected arrival of two Westerners, who have stayed too long in Syria and must now be given refuge, the fragile existence of the Syrian couple comes under even greater threat. How will they survive as they fall further away from hope, from what they know and from what they used to be?

'Most compelling – both as theatre and in its attempt to bear witness and give a voice to Syrian people.' The Guardian

Originator, Producer, Director & Dramaturg: Benedict Power

Writer: Rob Johnston
Designer: Meriel Pym
Sound Designer: Karen Lauke
Touring Stage Manager & Lighting: Phil Buckley
Co-Producer: Jayne Compton
Production Assistant: Sarah Birch
Marketing Assistant: Emma Blauciak

Salah: Marlon Solomon
Aisha: Rhian McLean
Claire: Sophia Hatfield
Mark: Garth Williams

Musician & Composer: Chris Davies

Conflict Photography: Musa Chowdhury, Danial Leal-Olivas & Matthew Norman

Real Life is one man's answer to everyone's problems.

Using all of the performance styles, Ben Kewin presents a series of staggeringly beautiful plays and readings that help the audience to understand the things that can sometimes be hard to understand unless you've seen a play about them.

Being big and strong and powerful and relaxed is easy, but what about the less important things... like understanding, caring and crying? The power of theatre enables us to explore these emotions together, so we don't have to talk about them in real life. Ben wants to make people cry. That's why his work is important.

Let's begin...

'A masterful display of tight writing, performance and a great deal of lunacy.'
THE SKINNY ★★★★

'One of the most engrossing pieces of live comedy we’ve ever seen.'
CREATIVE TOURIST

A collaborative writing project, co-commissioned by 24:7 Theatre Festival, Manchester and You Are Here Festival, Canberra, Australia, to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. Co-written by Rob Johnston (UK) and Emma Gibson (Australia), the play was performed as part of the 24:7 Festival 2014 and selected for the Re:Play festival at HOME in 2015, supported by Arts Council England. Touring festivals in Summer 2016, it won nominations for 'Best Production' and 'Best Actor' at the Buxton Fringe Festival.

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Cast/Crew

A unique collaboration between Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, Greater Manchester BAME Network, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre and The Royal Exchange Theatre to mark the anniversary of Partition.

Performed on the main stage at The Royal Exchange Theatre, on-site at Manchester Museum, and in various community spaces in the North and South of Manchester.

Seven decades on, the memories of Partition are still strong. Hear the voices, stories and hidden histories of Manchester’s South Asian communities.

Inspired by material from the Memories of Partition oral history project at Manchester Museum, ten South Asian writers and spoken word artists were commissioned by The Royal Exchange to create new monologues which reveal the untold stories of Partition and the impact still felt today.

1. THE ECHOING CHAMBER written by Swati Simha, directed by Kash Arshad and performed by Kiran L Dadlini

2. SPIRITS OF SUNAAM written and performed by Hafsah Aneela Bashir, directed by Nicole Morris.

3. AFTERTHOUGHT written by Tuheen Huda, directed by Benedict Power and performed by Nakib Narat

4. BHARAT MATA written by Dipali Das, directed by Kash Arshad and performed by Miriam Ahmed

5. JAI HIND PAKISTAN ZINDABAD written by Satinder Chohan, directed by Nicole Morris and performed by Shila Iqbal

6. JAAN written by Furquan Akhtar, directed by Caroline Kennedy and performed by Kamal Kaan

7. IDENT written by Ravi Thornton, directed by Amy Hailwood and performed by Jennifer Kay

8. PHONE CALL written by Asif Majid, directed by Benedict Power and performed by Sushil Chudasama

9. PART IT PART NOT written by Afshan D'souza-Lodhi, directed by Amy Hailwood and performed by Shakera Louise Ahad

10. KNIVES AND FORKS written by Sarah Sayeed, directed by Caroline Kennedy and performed by Gina Gangar

Based on Satan's fall from grace in Paradise Lost, the play began life as part of Scroats From The Underground; a response to the vitriol aimed at young working-class men during the summer riots of 2011. In a world where art is seen as frivolous and greed is encouraged, happiness and unhappiness collide - and bar-staff bear the brunt.

The story is of embittered Cash Generator boss Peter, and his opinionated battle of wills with easy-going everyman bartender, Paul, fought out over the morals and motives of absent regular, Tony Rabonni - a kind and creative soul who, much to Peter's disgust, appears to be an all-round great guy.

'The most perfect depiction of a right wing tabloid reading, acrimonious pub bore... to be avoided at the bar at all costs. Between them, Crabb and Bell have created an absolutely watchable monster of a man.'
THE PUBLIC REVIEWS

Set in modern-day Manchester, the play examines the fragile dreams and faltering friendships of four young media graduates, hungry for fame and recognition. Not long after leaving university, their collective ambition begins to falter and the group, who were once good friends, find themselves adrift in a world of debt, drugs and dead-end employment. Even Martin, who believes he’s found the answer to his troubles after winning a prestigious poetry competition, soon discovers that success isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

‘Eloquent, moving and completely gripping.'
Manchester Evening News

Productions and Projects

A selection of original projects and productions