Long before the pandemic, many people lived isolated lives to protect others. Props is a series of six compelling audio dramas to spotlight the lives of people who embrace stigma and hardship to stay tight with someone else.

Documental Theatre spoke to:

• Carers
• Forces families
• Relatives of serving prisoners
• People in an immigration process
• Overseas workers sending money home
• Mothers of children in addiction recovery

We commissioned six brilliant new plays from award-winning writers Mina Barber, Lucy Bell, Bisola Alabi, Cathy Crabb and Stephen Myott-Meadows responding to these themes. The plays are directed by Old Vic 12 director Sarah Meadows, edited by Tremolo Theatre’s Jack Drewry. Ben Kwasi Burrell (Small Island/Get Up Stand Up) created the sumptuous score. PROPS has a cast of 25 actors well-known from film, television and radio.

Our participants created personal galleries to depict their domestic lives, hopes and dreams for a post-Covid world and these can be viewed here http://documentaltheatre.co.uk/the-props-gallery/

THREE CHORDS by Cathy Crabb

Mel’s daughter is in rehab. Mel’s learning the electric guitar, badly. How do you write a soft rock anthem to describe raising in your grandkids and living day to day? Three chords and the truth of course.

https://soundcloud.com/user-17031991-219821384/three-chords-and-the-truth?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-17031991-219821384%252Fthree-chords-and-the-truth

MERMAN by Lucy Bell

It’s 2014 and women are on submarines for the first time. Jordie, husband of a deployed submariner, is a fish out of water on a Navy married patch. As he tries to understand how Navy wives stay strong, Jordie hears the siren call of the sea…

https://soundcloud.com/user-17031991-219821384/merman?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-17031991-219821384%252Fmerman

DISTURBED by Neela Dolezalova

Can you bully people with sound? Niki and Layla are getting used to new neighbours. The tabloids are demonising benefit claimants. Disturbed explores assumptions we make from what we hear through the walls.

https://soundcloud.com/user-17031991-219821384/disturbed-by-neela-dolezalova?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-17031991-219821384%252Fdisturbed-by-neela-dolezalova

DONUT by Mina Barber

In this comedy set on the race track, Bituin, a domestic worker from the Philippines, is getting ready for her UK driving test. But will passing her test give her the freedom that she craves?

https://soundcloud.com/user-17031991-219821384/donut?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-17031991-219821384%252Fdonut

THE I IN UNIFY by Stephen Myott-Meadows

Jim’s daughter is in custody, but he’s not the only person in his neighbourhood with problems on his mind. The I in Unify is a comedy drama exploring the power of community.

https://soundcloud.com/user-17031991-219821384/the-i-in-unify?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-17031991-219821384%252Fthe-i-in-unify

FOOTPRINTS by Bisola Alabi

Footprints carries us from an Army base, to a prison, to a kitchen full of Middle Eastern treats. We glimpse into the lives of Elan, Gwen and Nabil: each is on their own journey to a life-changing turning point.

https://soundcloud.com/user-17031991-219821384/footprints?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-17031991-219821384%252Ffootprints