Applied Theatre Podcast

Subscribe on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube (with subtitles) – Applied Theatre PodcastIn this episode I speak with Lara Parmiani, Founder and Artistic Director of LegalAliens Theatre, a migrant-led Theatre of Sanctuary based in Tottenham, North London. Since 2012 LegalAliens has created physically driven, politically engaged theatre platforming migrants and refugees as artists, participants and collaborators. Their Tottenham Project, running weekly since 2018, offers free theatre training for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants at the Engine Room in Tottenham Hale.We speak on the occasion of Ali in Wonder(Eng)land, playing at Jacksons Lane on 14th and 15th July, a reimagining of Alice in Wonderland devised with and performed by an ensemble of migrants and refugees. Ali arrives in a surreal version of England full of rules that keep changing, interviews with no right answers, and helpful people who make everything worse. It's Carroll's Wonderland, just with better paperwork.We discuss:- The evolution of LegalAliens from a professional company of migrant artists to an organisation running weekly applied theatre classes in Tottenham - What prompted the Tottenham Project and how it grew from two people in a room to a company of sixteen preparing for a Jacksons Lane stage-Ali in Wonder(Eng)land — how the idea emerged, and how the 2026 version has been rebuilt with a largely new group.- Holding artistic rigour alongside the real complexity of a room where people are navigating insecure immigration status, mental health challenges, language barriers and a system that keeps moving the goalposts.- Why comedy and absurdism are not ways of softening the brutality but a way in.This episode considers what it means to make work that is both artistically ambitious and genuinely community led, and why those two things are not in opposition. Thank you Lara for your time and your generosity.LegalAliens Theatre:Website http://legalalienstheatre.comInstagram @legalalienstheatreTickets for Ali in Wonder(Eng)land at Jacksons Lane: jacksonslane.org.ukApplied Theatre Podcast:Substack https://appliedtheatrepodcast.substack.comInstagram @AppliedTheatrePodEmail [email protected] on Spotify, Apple & Google Podcasts and Youtube (w/subtitles) Applied Theatre Podcast#theatre #appliedtheatre #appliedtheatrepodcast #podcast #migrantarts #legalalienstheatre

Subscribe on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube (with subtitles) – Applied Theatre PodcastIn this episode I speak with Maria Åberg, Artistic Director of ‘Projekt Utopia’, formerly Project Europa, an organisation working with migrant theatre makers from around the world to platform migrant imagination through the performing arts.Maria reflects on the journey from directing on some of the UK's biggest stages, including the RSC and the National, to founding an organisation built on collective devising, multilingual practice and migrant-led artistry, and what prompted that shift during the pandemic.We discuss:– The decision to rebrand from Project Europa to Projekt Utopia, and why the original name was shrinking the space rather than opening it up– Migrant imagination as both a topic and a methodology, and whether there is such a thing as a migrant dramaturgy or aesthetic– Working with migrant communities during a period of explicit anti-migrant sentiment, and what it means to hold space for that reality within the room– What institutions still don't understand about casting, visas and genuinely welcoming migrant artists– The challenges of building governance structures that reflect an organisation's values rather than inherited, top-down models– What's next for Projekt Utopia, including international touring and a long-term vision for what a fully migrant-centred cultural institution could look likeThis episode considers what it means to make work from a place of hope without losing sight of the realities migrant artists are navigating, and why imaginative capacity born of migration may be one of the most undervalued creative resources in the industry today. Thank you Maria for your time.Projekt Utopia:Website - https://www.projektutopia.orgInstagram - @weareprojektutopiaApplied Theatre Podcast:Substack - https://appliedtheatrepodcast.substack.comInstagram - @AppliedTheatrePodEmail - [email protected] on Spotify, Apple & Google Podcasts and Youtube (w/subtitles) - Applied Theatre Podcast#theatre #appliedtheatre #appliedtheatrepodcast #podcast #migrantartists #projectutopia

Subscribe on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube (with subtitles) – Applied Theatre PodcastIn this episode I speak with Sulu LeoNimm, Executive Director and Joker at Theatre of the Oppressed NYC.Sulu shares their journey from performer and theatre maker into applied practice rooted in the work of Augusto Boal, and reflects on what it means to use theatre as a tool to explore power, dialogue and collective action in contemporary contexts.We discuss:– The role of the Joker in facilitating forum theatre– How Theatre of the Oppressed operates in New York City today– Building work in collaboration with communities– The relationship between artistry and social change– The continued relevance of Boal’s techniques– And the importance of goals driven practice in 2026This episode considers how applied theatre continues to evolve in response to shifting political, social and cultural landscapes, and what it means to create work that is both rigorous and responsive. Thank you Sulu for your time.Theatre of the Opressed NYC:Website - https://www.tonyc.nycInstagram - @tonyc_actionApplied Theatre Podcast:Substack - https://appliedtheatrepodcast.substack.comInstagram - @AppliedTheatrePodEmail - [email protected] on Spotify, Apple & Google Podcasts and Youtube (w/subtitles) - Applied Theatre Podcast#theatre #appliedtheatre #appliedtheatrepodcast #podcast #theatreoftheoppressed #boal

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube (with subtitles) – Applied Theatre PodcastIn this episode, Shane Shambhu, (Creative Director of Altered Skin), Shireenah Ingram (Actor and founder of Red Lens) and I spoke about the creation of When We See Ourselves, a multidisciplinary theatre performance exploring intercultural relationships, diaspora, hierarchy and identity.We reflected on how the piece began in 2019 as an inquiry into DNA, evolution and shared human origins, before developing into a deeply personal examination of anti Black sentiment within South Asian communities. Through a contemporary love story, the work engages with the legacy of eighteenth century botanist Carl Linnaeus and his racial classifications, questioning how historic systems of categorising human beings continue to shape present day prejudice and power structures.Shane and Shireenah shared insight into their collaborative rehearsal process, built around a living script that moves fluidly between text, movement, music and design, drawing on Bharatanatyam and contemporary theatre practices. A layered and evolving work, this is a piece that invites audiences into reflection, connection and ongoing conversation.We also explored what it means to define British theatre today, and who holds the authority to shape that definition.When We See Ourselves tours in early 2026 with performances at:Derby Theatre - 28th FebruaryProteus Creation Space in Basingstoke - 3rd MarchArena Theatre Wolverhampton - 5th MarchTouchstones at Rochdale Ukrainian Club - 12th March.Book Tickets: https://alteredskin.org/project/when-we-see-ourselves/Altered Skins Links:Website - https://alteredskin.orgInstagram - @alteredskincicApplied Theatre Podcast:X - @ApptheatrepodInstagram - @AppliedTheatrePodEmail - [email protected] on Spotify, Apple & Google Podcasts and Youtube (w/subtitles) - Applied Theatre Podcast #theatre #appliedtheatre #appliedtheatrepodcast #podcast #alteredskin #Shaneshambhu

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube (with subtitles) – Applied Theatre PodcastChris Sonnex, Artistic Director of Cardboard Citizens, joins me to discuss how theatre can challenge inequality and create genuine pathways for people with lived experience of homelessness and poverty. From hostel tours to award winning films and now a new anthology, More Than One Story, Chris shares how the company continues to evolve, redefining what theatre can be and who gets to make it.We explore Cardboard Citizens’ “garden model” of membership, where workshops, co-production forums and creative mentoring plant the seeds for long term growth. Chris talks about working with writers such as Malorie Blackman, Inua Ellams and Michelle de Swarte, and about giving new voices a national platform through open submissions and accessible opportunities.https://cardboardcitizens.org.uk/whats-on/event/cardboard-citizens-presents-more-than-one-story/The conversation also delves into trauma informed practice, exploring how artists and facilitators are trained to create safer spaces, manage boundaries and avoid becoming a “one stop shop” for participants’ wider crises. Chris reflects candidly on the challenges of leadership, the shifting responsibilities of an Artistic Director, and the importance of removing ego to future proof an organisation and its artists.Thank you Chris for an inspiring discussion about creativity, care and community, and for reminding us that art is not just what happens on stage, but how we choose to work together.Chris’s Links:Website - https://cardboardcitizens.org.ukInstagram - @cardboardcitzApplied Theatre Podcast:X - @ApptheatrepodInstagram - @AppliedTheatrePodEmail - [email protected] on Spotify, Apple & Google Podcasts and Youtube (w/subtitles) - Applied Theatre Podcast #theatre #appliedtheatre #appliedtheatrepodcast #podcast #ChrisSonnex #CardboardCitizens