We want to shine a new light on life after breast cancer, and we are raising funds for a ground-breaking new play about what matters most.
by Speak Up! Act Out! in Brighton, England, United Kingdom
The extra money will allow us to spend more time developing the aesthetics of the performance. We will be able to engage with more performers, as well as getting more people to see this performance and have more outreach activities such as talks and workshops.
Project Synopsis
Speak Up! Act Out! is a Brighton based company committed to making theatre about people's lives and creating a space for shared experiences.
Our current project in development is called Rebel Boob, which explores how a woman gets back on her feet following a breast cancer diagnosis. This ground -breaking play is not about chemotherapy, or about death - though they both may be mentioned a little! This is about life, and it is about re-evaluating who you are, and what is important.
Rebel Boob, which will be unveiled as part of the Reigning Women programme at The Old Market in Hove on Friday 13 March 2020, will use interviews with women affected by breast cancer as a starting point, along with pioneering video-mapping technology and choreography, to create an immersive performance along themes of identity, body image, priorities, grief and relationships.
The Importance of Rebel Boob
After being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2018, Angela El-Zeind (director of Speak Up! Act Out!) developed the idea for a performance that acknowledges and recognises the period after active treatment when you start picking up the pieces and dealing with your grief.
We are still in the dark about cancer. It is still a taboo subject and we are not talking enough about the numbers of women and men who survive and go on to live rich, fulfilling lives – so that’s where Rebel Boob comes in.
It will be a raw, funny, honest and beautiful insight into the magic which can happen when your life as you know it, stops. We use the catalyst of a breast cancer diagnosis, however Rebel Boob is actually about resilience, about discovering what matters most and making the most of your life... and that is a story that deserves to be told.
This play is also important for the friends and family of a loved one who has been diagnosed with breast cancer... they too need support and we know that understanding more about the experience of a person, will mean that there will be more awareness and support available for them.
What Your Donations Will Cover
We’ve launched this crowdfunding page to raise £1,500 to cover some practical costs of the performance, such as rehearsal spaces, venue hire and equipment which will be used for the digital projections.
Finding the right space to develop and perform Rebel Boob is very significant, due to the sensitivity of the subject and the emotional journey that the participants have experienced. The venue is also of great importance, so that it supports the design elements of the performance, and can demonstrate the potential for a national tour.
Yes, that's right! We are hoping to take Rebel Boob on tour around the UK, to engage with local communities and charities. We feel it is important to discuss life after breast cancer, as openly and as frequently as possible.
What else we’re doing:
We are approaching local businesses to seek their sponsorship and support, and we’re reaching out to a number of cancer charities to see how we can work together on this. Watch this space!
The Creative Team:
Produced by Speak Up! Act Out!
Angela El-Zeind (Directing) ; Victoria Mapplebeck (Film Design) ; Katie Dale-Everett - (Choreography); Boyd Branch (Media Design); Tilly Bungard (Production)
Performers to be announced shortly
If you need more persuading:
Eight out of ten women are not told about the possibility of developing long-term anxiety and depression by healthcare professionals, according to this survey of nearly 3,000 women with breast cancer in England.
One in three experience anxiety for the first time in their lives after their diagnosis and treatment.
Almost half experience continuous fear that the cancer may return, which can severely impact day-to-day life.
Breast cancer survivors may be more likely to experience anxiety, depression, sleep troubles and other mental health issues, particularly if they were younger when they were diagnosed or had a history of mental illness prior to the cancer diagnosis, according to a research review in December 2018.
And that's why this is a story that deserves telling.
Ticket price:
£10 / £8 concessions
Age: 12+
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