Get yourself comfy and join us for the next segment of Stagey Chat!

Jamie: Hello Stage to Page, I am doing great! It’s a pleasure to talk with you. My name is Jamie Ankrah. I was born and raised in Kilburn, London. My family is of mixed heritage and are proudly working class. I have ADHD and I was a very chaotic young boy. As a single parent, my mum needed a way for me to burn a lot of my energy. That lead to her putting me into local free acting classes from the age of 5 and onwards. From there I just never stopped.

Gabriella: Hi, I am doing well thank you! Thanks for having me! I’m Gabriella; a Screenwriter, Actor and Poet/Author of ‘The Art of a Damaged Soul’. I grew up in a very working class family in Hastings, East Sussex. When I was a kid we didn’t have much money so TV and Film was literally everything to me; it was my entertainment and as I was a bit of a loner, the characters on screen became my friends and my teachers. At around age 4, I was obsessed with ‘Barney and Friends’. I’d watch all the young kids on the show and dream of being on it myself. I was cast in my school’s nativity as a star.. like a literal star in the sky... instead of Mary - I was so upset and my mum said I kept running on stage when I wasn’t supposed to. We couldn’t afford drama lessons, so it was just a dream until secondary school when drama was my favourite subject. In college my teachers told me I was really good and should audition for drama schools, so I did and got into East 15! Then I realised this might not just be a dream, it could be an actual job!

J: I am indeed! Flock is a wonderful story about young people in care. Who dream, laugh, and hustle their way into securing better futures for themselves and their loved ones. It explores the mental health of these young people, highlights the challenges that can arise in these environments and most importantly showcases the love and commitment they have to their friends and family. Robbie is family oriented, loves very deeply but is also very troubled. He has a hard time navigating his current situation. But nothing stops him from dreaming for more. We’ve all got a little bit of Robbie in us.

G: Flock is a gorgeous story that explores two siblings who have continuously been moved between places, but none of which has ever felt like a home. They have been separated due to the care system but have always found a way back to each other. Robbie heavily relies on his older sister Cel, even though he has a close friend Miko, and a very nice social worker that soon becomes his friend too. However, Cel is growing up, she wants to fall in love and have a healthy love that her mother never had. She wants to beat the odds and go to university to show everyone that she is capable and that she is worthy and that yes a girl like her can do it. But this means she would have to leave her brother. She tries to prepare him for independence whilst her own demons come knocking to lead her down a difficult path.

J: There have been quite a few members of my own family that have experience with the care system. It’s important to remember that not everyone’s home life is the same. Some can be quite unsafe and not suitable for young people. That’s where the care system can become incredibly beneficial. Although I was never in care I can resonate with Robbie’s upbringing, especially with how volatile or unsafe it was at times. I spent the majority of my childhood dealing with social workers or having to spend time away from home. So, when you see scenes in the play with Robbie and his social worker you know I’m using my own life experiences to make it as real as it can get haha.

G: I have been part of three research and development rounds with Playing On working with Jim, Lin and some actors to explore the text. We did some readings after each R&D, where some of the audience members were the wonderful people that helped shape the piece. I spoke with them after and heard their stories and personal experience within the care system. I spoke with the incredibly smart, strong, young women they had worked with and listened to the stories which inspired Cel’s character. 

I remember first reading the script and was freaked out as Cel and I have a lot of similarities - I won’t say too much about that because it would contain spoilers, but what can I can share is that I grew up in a working-class family and when telling people my ambitions in life, I was often told that “people like you don’t achieve stuff like that”.

I am the eldest of four and was always looking after my siblings to help my mum, so I had to pull my weight and help from a very young age. I have always felt that maternal responsibility for my younger siblings, especially when living in dangerous areas with a lot of crime or people scouting out youngsters to help them deal drugs. I was always on the lookout and always told my siblings not to trust anyone - this is something Cel says to Robbie a lot. Also the awful males that are in Cel’s life - this is something I have experienced a lot too. But yes, beating the odds and breaking stereotypes is something I really, really relate to.

J: Firstly, I think this play is written so excellently by Lin and what drew me so deeply to the play was that the characters were so real. I hope the audience can experience a different texture from a play set in ends. As a theatregoer, I’ve watched theatre that’s set in the hood and a lot of the themes are always around knife crime, drug crime and gang violence - which is incredibly prevalent and has been my whole upbringing.

However, I still feel that the diaspora of life in the ends is so much richer and more diverse. There are so many more stories that have yet to be told. With Flock for example, one of the opening scenes of the play is Robbie and his best friend Miko fishing for coins in the Thames while talking about how one day they will be rich. That is so real! When I was a 15yr old boy in Kilburn I used to walk the streets at 3am with my brother, fantasising about one day going to drama school! I was constantly dreaming about attaining a better future for myself and I can sense that so strongly from these characters. I want more stories like these in theatre and I’m very proud to a part of this one.

G: It doesn't matter where you come from and where you grew up, you can achieve anything you want. There is not enough help for young people in broken Britain right now and the systems currently in place do not work but the social workers out there like Mrs Bosely - they are heroes! Oh, and also, ask people if they are ok. Check-in on people!!!

J: You are asking all the right questions!! I’m a big reader and there are a million right answers. One book that I think has such great potential to be developed further is the Enemy by Charlie Higson. It’s a book about young adults navigating a dystopian Zombie world! But the best thing about it is that it’s set in London. A lot of it is based in places I’ve been frequenting my whole childhood. Hyde Park, Camden Town, ONE OF THE CHARACTERS GOES TO KILBURN!!! Never screamed so much reading a chapter in my life. I’ve always wanted to play a character named Ed. It’s a dream role and a dream project. It’s so incredibly well written and it’s such an epic 7 book saga. I’ve heard whispers that it might potentially be happening, I need to invite Charlie to Flock!

G: Ok, so without trying to think too deeply about it, I have two that pop straight into my head! Firstly, WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN A CASTLE - SHIRLEY JACKSON. I am obsessed with anything gothic or haunting and this book is just incredible and the film is also one of my favourites. It's so odd and bizarre and I’d love to play either of those sisters (Merricat or Constance). It is a powerful story that explores the persecution of people that are deemed odd or different and also explores isolation, broken families, guilt. The most resonating part to me is throughout the novel, the actions of the female characters reveal a desire for revolt against the patriarchy.

I also have to include THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP - JENNY COGLAN because it is the cosiest book ever and just makes me feel so good and Carmen is literally me. Again, just like when I read Flock and was shocked at the amount of similarities between Cel and I, I felt the same with Carmen in this book.

J: You should come a watch flock because it’s only an hour long… I’m joking. Besides the fact the run time is gorgeous, the play is full of so much heart. It’s funny, it’s heart wrenching and it’s very ambitious. Lin’s writing is superb. Jim the director is fantastic, and the team is all super talented. It’s going to be a very fun time please do come along.

G: Flock is a play shaped by real humans, real young people. Not only will this show fill your heart with love and hope, it’ll make you cry and plead for a different reality for some of the characters. It sheds a much needed spotlight on the realities that young people are facing today. The more people that come and watch this show, the more hope there is for change.