Here are some of the questions we are most often asked by our audiences

How did Phosphoros Theatre start and how did you meet? 
Phosphoros Theatre began in 2015 in the living room of a supported housing project for refugee young men. We started off doing a few drama workshops and never looked back! More information about our history here 

How do you make your productions? 
We make our public productions through working closely with the performers to explore their ideas, personal reflections and lived experiences, and then find ways to connect them. We do Research and Development (aka R&D) in a theatre or studio with our whole company, and sometimes bring in artists and other colleagues (e.g. our mates who are lawyers or educators) to help us think about the issues we find important in different ways. We collect lots of material - from pictures and drawings to movement sequences, poems, comedy sketches and testimony. At this point there are hundreds of possible plays we could make, but we only pick one. The process of deciding the central question or theme is long and pulls us in lots of different directions. Our directors lead this process, but everyone can join in if they like. Eventually our writer Dawn turns these ideas into a script, which she sends back and forth to the company, to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and spoken in the way they want. Often the ideas, themes, lines or characters we love the most appear to us outside a studio space. They might emerge over a meal we share together, or in a phone call, or when we’re celebrating after a performance, or - most often - in the everyday lives of our team that continue to be affected by the asylum system.

What is your theatrical style?
Our shows have drawn on several theatrical styles. In our most recent production ‘All the beds I have slept in’ (2021-22) there is a naturalistic storyline telling the story of two foster brothers. But the show also involves the actors talking directly to the audience, where the actors are themselves instead of characters. On our last two shows we have worked with a movement director (Sean Hollands), which means we are able to tell parts of the story with choreography, without words. 

Our previous shows have also used comedy, music, film and third person storytelling.

Are the stories in your shows true?
We sometimes say: ‘Everything we show onstage is true. Or… nearly true.’ 

We play with autobiography and explore refugee narratives in surprising, unusual, bold and challenging ways. The lives of refugees and asylum seekers have been so often interpreted, retold, misrepresented, simplified and silenced, so we feel passionately about telling stories differently. In our show ‘Pizza Shop Heroes’ the actors said to the audience:

We’re going to tell you our stories how WE want to.
You’re not here to decide if we’re credible or not.
I’m not here to make your conscience feel better.
I don’t need you to feel sorry for me

Lots of our work is fictional or based on dreams, imagined futures and alternate realities. It is also reflective of the lived experiences of refugees and asylum seekers, particularly those living in Britain, and it is informed both by first hand knowledge and an enormous amount of research. So whilst some bits might not be true for the actors in front of you, it’s not many steps away. 

Do you work with professional actors? 
Our actors are paid at industry rates to rehearse and perform Phosphoros Theatre’s shows. Some of our actors have been performing in shows with us for several years, and have experience with other companies, so have a good deal of professional acting experience. However, none of the actors we work with have had formal actor training (yet), for example going to drama school. Community engagement is embedded in all our work, making sure that we provide development options for people who are interested in performing with us, including training pathways to join our casts. 

Is Phosphoros Theatre run by refugees?
No; our three Artistic Directors are white, British women without lived experience of displacement. (You can find out about their experience by clicking here). They have been engaging with issues around forced migration for over 10 years through education, social care, research and community theatre. All our Community Engagement work is co-led by practitioners with lived experience of forced migration, and we are growing our training programme to ensure professional development continues to be built into all our work. On our board of trustees we members with experience of forced displacement. We’re always keen to hear from folks with lived experience who might be interested in joining us as a trustee (whether you’re a newbie to governance or a seasoned board member!) Click here to get in touch. 

Do the actors in Phosphoros Theatre all have leave to remain in the UK?
Some do and some don’t, and most of us keep this information private. Being a member of Phosphoros means that with the massive highs we sometimes get devastating lows, often caused by the UK’s oppressive asylum system that we believe is unfit for purpose. 

Who do you make shows for?
We make shows for anyone who’s either interested in the lives and experiences of refugees and asylum seekers, or wants to see great theatre (or both!) One of our favourite things about touring around the UK is that we get to meet our audiences and hear about their lives too. We’ve made so many brilliant connections with our audiences who sometimes stay in touch and tell us the amazing actions they’ve taken to support refugees locally (unbelievably, we even went en masse to one of our audience member’s wedding!) We never want cost to become a barrier to attending one of our shows. Our prices are usually low anyway, but we either have £5 or free tickets for refugees and asylum seekers. If our ticket price is inaccessible for you then just drop us a message and we’ll see what we can do. There’s more about our commitment to refugee audiences here. 

What do you want people to take away from your productions? 
Our productions will have a different impact on our audiences, and this sometimes depends on their own lived experience. For our audience members with lived-experience of forced migration we want our productions to feel inclusive, validating and celebratory, despite touching on difficult and at times personal subjects. For audience members who don’t have these personal experiences, we want to bring to light unique, nuanced and emotionally truthful narratives about the asylum-seeking and refugee experience. 

But most of all, we want our productions to be enjoyable for everyone who comes to see them! We see theatre as a radical space for creative expression on political topics. We want people to leave our shows with reflections, new thoughts and hope for the future. 

How can I support refugees myself? 
We would suggest looking up the small organisations supporting refugees in your area, these are often the people doing the grassroots work to support people often without much resource. You can also be vocal in your support of refugees and asylum seekers by supporting campaigns for refugee rights. We always welcome donations to continue developing our work.We are proudly a Theatre Company of Sanctuary. If you’re not sure what’s going on in your local area check out the City of Sanctuary website to connect with folks doing amazing work nearby. 

Are you a charity? 
Yes we are. We became a charity in 2020 after previously being a Community Interest Company. Our charity number is 1191899.

Can you visit my school / youth group / university / staff training day?
Probably! We can provide workshops and training for all varieties of groups and organisations. There’s more information about our workshops and training here. Just get in touch with us to find out a possible cost. We can occasionally deliver free or subsidised workshops to refugee charities when we have relevant funding.

Can I do work experience or a placement with Phosphoros Theatre?
Maybe! We currently take placement students from various courses at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, including Applied Theatre, Actor Training and Coaching, and Scenography, and host refugee young adults on work experience from different organisations. We can provide work experience for people from refugee backgrounds, whether you’re at school, college, university or generally looking to expand your development in the charity or arts sector. Contact us for more information. 

Can we interview you about your experiences for TV / radio / a conference (etc)? 
Yes. Several of our company members regularly talk to the media about being refugee artists, former child refugees and people with lived experience of the UK asylum system. Contact us for more information, and for our guidance for journalists. Please note that it is extremely rare for us to contribute to events or festivals without payment.