Born and Bread is a large ensemble show about home and belonging, performed by a baker chorus of non-professional actors. It tells the story of Amina, who has just moved from London, as she enters a Community Kitchen in search of lunch and friendship. Told in 6 acts, framed as the bread-making process, the cast feed the audience bread and soup at the end of the show.
I am the Producer and Co-Director of Born and Bread which has been produced by Brighton People’s Theatre between January 2022 and May 2024.
We interviewed over 100 people in the city about their relationship to the city, through food. These conversations were the starting point of co-creating the show through 165 workshops involving 87 people.
It was performed 4 times at ACCA in October 2023 to a sold out audience, who gave the cast standing ovations.
Born and Bread was subsequently programmed by the Brighton Festival in 2024 and was performed 5 times to sold out audiences, who also gave standing ovations.
Artist Tim Crouch came to see the show and said this afterwards:
“This is what hope looks like.
Small seeds, conversations, meetings, consultations, casting wide nets, workshops, open minds, gradually piecing out a shared vision, identifying partners, allies, collaborators, genuine inclusion, inspired leadership.
And then you make a show.
A show that wears all those values on its sleeve. A show that exists for all the right reasons; that gives its participants a voice; that gives its audience soup & a good night out.
A light in the darkness. Thanks. Brighton People's Theatre. More, please.”
Born and Bread cast member