Presented by Sonnet Youth and Company Many
Sonnet Youth and Company Many presents thick skin, elastic heart.
Tap – scroll – like – click – follow – repeat… Award-winning writer and director Drew Taylor-Wilson’s thick skin, elastic heart explores the everyday overwhelming instability of life in modern Britain through a hopeful millennial gaze.
Scrolling through porn addiction to miscarriages to mental health to queer identity, this darkly comedic show is about the overwhelming pressure of high societal expectations and constant digital connection. thick skin, elastic heart is a hybrid poetic theatre production encapsulating the current zeitgeist of life in your late twenties.
As the rise of poetry native to Instagram gives birth to a new literary genre providing words of comfort and clarity to millions of young people, unbeknown to the cynics who may not approve of it’s literary prowess, it has given way to a renaissance in spoken word for those seeking more resonant prose beyond their screens. Performed by the punchy and diverse cast of Cameron Fulton (Scottish Feature Film: CONNECT), Danielle Jam (TV’s Molly & Mack), Robert Elkin (TV’s Peaky Blinders) and Charlotte Driessler (BBC Radio 3’s Midsummer Night’s Dream), this is Under Milk Wood for and by millenials, exposing the inner thoughts, fears and aspirations behind the Instagram filters and the 280 character tweets.
Playing like a frenzied scroll through a social media feed, the show takes the audience on an exhilarating and emotional journey through the characters’ lives. With seemingly disconnected pieces running into one another at speed, woven together with athletic physical delivery, thick skin, elastic heart showcases a kaleidoscope of voices from across the UK and one particular generation often dismissed as ‘snowflakes’.
Drew Taylor-Wilson commented; “thick skin, elastic heart has been in development for ten years; the language of the work is really unique, it’s equal parts poetry and character driven dialogue, a style that I have been working for a long time to hone. It’s a labour of love that I am so excited to share across Scotland.
“I wrote it because I wanted to give more of a voice to a group in our society that is so frequently dismissed, but the themes throughout have a universal appeal that spans generations. I’ve created a forum for topics that are affecting our younger people now, presented in a way that feels appropriate to the time and their short-form digital interaction. The performance is messy and elegant and at least one of the segments will resonate with everyone’s own personal experience.”
thick skin, elastic heart comes to Eden Court, Inverness on Saturday 1 February.
“The spoken word medium proves to be a touch of genius that gives this electrically-written play some moments to savour long after the show has ended.” ★★★★ The Wee Review
“Unmissable reflection on theatre as a site of progressive expression” – The List.
