Wild
Wild - What does it conjure up for you? Is it a moment standing at the edge of a raging sea or being lifted up and spat out of a whirling tornado; running for your life through city streets or coming face to face with a wolf; the animal within that can’t always be tamed or the wilderness at the edge of your home?
‘Wild’ is a new theatre production celebrating what Wild means to us, in the natural world, in our towns and cities, and within ourselves. Weaving together stories collected from over 70 people across rural, urban and seaside locations, it invites the audience to reflect on their own definitions of Wild, fostering a deeper appreciation of both nature and human nature.
Featuring original songs, immersive soundscapes and rich storytelling, 'Wild' is a vibrant, moving, captivating show that takes you on a journey of emotions from exhilarating fear to childlike joy, and will leave you wondering... what is your 'Wild'?
‘Wild’ was the second year of a two-year project partnering with community gardens across the Black Country. We worked closely with the gardens that had been involved in year one to gather responses to the theme of “wild” through conducting interview with the local people who visit, work at and volunteer at the gardens.
The Creative Team
Performers
Holly Alanna Williams is a Birmingham-based performer and visual artist. She specialises in acting, vocal performance, poetry, photography and other multi-disciplinary art forms. Having practiced from a young age, she has gained various performing arts accreditations including a Distinction in Individual Acting Skills from Trinity College London. She is also a freelance model.
April Nerissa Hudson is a performer. She has appeared in Graycon (2017), Man Like Mobeen (2017) and Doctors (2000).
Vimal Korpal is a performer, theatre maker, radio producer and presenter. He has worked extensively in theatre and radio for over fifteen years, including at the Birmingham REP and for BBC Birmingham. Vimal has appeared in a number of short films, corporate pieces, and BBC One’s Doctors.
Graeme Rose is a performer and theatre-maker from Birmingham. A co-founder of Stan’s Cafe and The Resurrectionists, he has collaborated with many companies across the West Midlands and beyond, touring original theatre to audiences around the world. Previous projects with BCT include ‘Webb Dives In’ (a canal-side, brass-band oratorio with The Resurrectionists, 2000), the War Caravan in EAT! (with Birmingham Rep, 2011), My Big Fat Cowpat Wedding (with Kali Theatre, 2014-16) and Fred Jeffs: The Sweetshop Murder (with Birmingham Rep, 2019) - a re-investigation of the unsolved, Sandwell murder of Graeme’s great uncle, also released as a podcast.
Directors
Frances Land and Steve Johnstone
Choir Leader and performer
Katy Rose Bennett is a Birmingham-based singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and arranger. She has been creating her earthy, intimate folk music for over 20 years, telling stories of love, despair, connection and community. She has released 7 albums to critical acclaim with plays on BBC Radio 2, 3 & 6 and RTE 1, and she has toured the UK and beyond. In recent years, Katy has developed her work collaborating across art forms, creating music for dance, spoken-word and theatre.
Script Development and Research
Rochi Rampal is a Birmingham-based theatremaker, writer and performer. She has worked and toured with regional, national and international theatre organisations as both an actor and a scriptwriter, such as Upstart Theatre, Pathos München, Highways Athens, The Other Way Works, Stan’s Cafe Theatre Company, Rasa Theatre, Oxfordshire Theatre Company, Women & Theatre, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and Creation Theatre. She has also performed for BBC Ragdoll and BBC Asian Network in their TV and Radio productions.
Design and Production
Abigail King and Matt Lloyd
Sound Design
Dean Whiskens
Autumn 2024 Tour
‘Wild’ toured in 8 community venues across the Black Country from 16th - 26th October 2024:
Brierley Hill Civic - Wednesday 16th October 2024, 7:30pm
Wednesbury Library - Thursday 17th October 2024, 3:30pm & 7pm
Glasshouse Arts Centre, Stourbridge - Friday 18th October 2024, 7pm
Gatis Community Space, Wolverhampton - Saturday 19th October 2024, 7pm
The Dorothy Parkes Centre, Smethwick - Sunday 20th October 2024, 7:30pm
Bromwich Hall, West Bromwich - Wednesday 23rd October 2024, 7pm
Central Library, West Bromwich - Thursday 24th October 2024, 7:30pm
Aaina Community Hub, Walsall - Saturday 26th October 2024, 4:30pm
Audience members were able to use their mobile devices to receive captions during the show via the The Difference Engine - a tool that enables audiences to receive captions on their own smartphones and tablets via a free app. Touch tours for visually impaired audience members covering the set, costumes and performers took place before the evening performances at Wednesbury Library, Glasshouse Arts Centre, Dorothy Parkes Centre and Central Library, West Bromwich. The performance at Central Library, West Bromwich was also BSL interpreted.
Audience Feedback
“Awesome, intense, real, honest, gripping, brave, fun, moving, shocking, memorable, vivid, vibrant!”
“What a really lovely experience this has been. Brilliant storytelling and singing.”
“I really enjoyed the way the scenes wove between stories, anecdotes and journeys, it was great.”
“Triggered visceral emotion and reminded me how wonderful it is to be alive and to be a creature in such a powerful world!”
“For just over an hour we were transported out of the very small space by every word that was spoken and every note that was made. We left the building absolutely buzzing!”
Autumn 2025 Tour
‘Wild’, will be touring nationally in Autumn 2025. This national tour will take our work to wider audiences across the rural touring network, demonstrating the universal resonance of local stories and celebrating the shared experiences that connect us.
The tour is a part of Create Tour Connect (CTC); a new innovative partnership project commissioning, developing and touring theatre across the rural touring network in England. Led by Applause, CTC addresses the lack of suitable performance work for contemporary rural audiences. It supports the development and touring of new work and connects this with a network of partners dedicated to small-scale touring, maximising its reach and impact.
More information will be announced here in 2025.
Touring schemes who are interested in booking ‘Wild’ can contact us via hello@bctouring.co.uk for information.
Wild is a Black Country Touring production. Photographs © Anand Chhabra, 2024.
