Who and what are Speakbeast all about?

We're a theatre company founded in 2023 at Warwick, making fringe theatre with a focus on small-scale/DIY-aesthetic, accessible politics, and absolute nonsense. We’re interested in creating original theatre, which focuses on queerness, transness, and what it means to be human in a mechanised world.

How did it feel to be shortlisted for the Untapped 2024 award?

Honestly, we didn't think it was real! It was such an unexpected and incredible experience being shortlisted for an award that has produced such phenomenal theatre since its founding (including fellow Warwick grads Breach Theatre and recent Fringe success story FlawBored). Getting to meet industry-leading professionals and performing in such a renowned space was an amazing experience for us, and we're very grateful for it.

What’s next for you?

We're taking our debut show, The Freemartin, to Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024, Dates and venue will be revealed soon on our Instagram (@speakbeasttheatre). As part of that process, we’re hoping to host an R&D performance at Warwick over the next few months. Following that, we're aiming to continue to create strange, soft theatre, and to keep learning, exploring, and making things a bit weird.

Any advice for young people who are passionate about theatre?

Keep applying to things, always, even if you don’t think you have a chance- it gets your name out there and is so important for making connections! However, we'd also say that, whilst many people will tell you that you need to get used to rejection in this industry, you also have to take care of yourself and understand how much you’re able to take. But if you feel ready, submit your scripts, your pitches for shows - anything and everything. Keep an eye out for funding and projects, because so many companies have things going on.

Also, listen to people, even if they don’t make the type of theatre you want to make, it’s crazy what you can learn. We’ve gotten feedback from all types of theatre-makers and learnt so much from people who are doing things very differently to us. There’s always so much to explore, so keep your eyes open. (Oh, and get familiar with spreadsheets, forms, and copywriting...it's not all exciting!)

Favourite memory or experience studying at Warwick?

Highlights include: All the societies and range of shows/roles we took on, highly caffeinated essays written on the steps of the Faculty of Arts Building (FAB), trying to fit a large wooden cabinet set piece into the boot of a small VW Polo, seeing all the weird and wonderful student theatre, playing hide and seek outside of the FAB, birthday picnics on Cryfield Hill, and, of course, absolutely botching the Dirty Duck Quiz every Thursday.