One of Liverpool’s most dynamic and ground-breaking theatre companies, 20 Stories High join forces with Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and Leicester’s Curve theatre for the world première of Melody Loses Her Mojo, written and directed by Keith Saha. This unique piece of Hip Hop Theatre, fusing spoken word, music, dance, puppetry and street art, opens at Liverpool Playhouse from 20th to 28th September ahead of a national tour.
Melody is in care and has been separated from her little sister Harmony. She’s got to keep hold of her toy monster Mojo to keep her on the straight and narrow. However when new girl Blessing arrives from Nigeria and tries to steal her best mate Rizla, Melody’s demons begin to take over her Mojo with devastating consequences. This gritty, funny and emotional story follows three young people as they begin to fend for themselves in a world that sometimes feels unreal.
20 Stories High apply lyrical storytelling, captivating contemporary visuals and inventive use of live music to capture the imaginations of their audiences with bold renderings of contemporary tales. The company won the prestigious Brian Way Award for plays for Young Audiences in 2009 and 2010 for Laurence Wilson’s Blackberry Trout Face and Ghost Boy, written and directed by Keith Saha.
Keith Saha is Co-Artistic Director of 20 Stories High and a former member of the Everyman Youth Theatre. After thrilling audiences at the Everyman in 2010 with Ghost Boy, the company make their Playhouse debut with Melody Loses Her Mojo.
Keith Saha said, “We’re really excited to be working with the Liverpool Playhouse and Leicester Curve on Melody Loses Her Mojo, the biggest and most challenging work 20 Stories High have done to date. We feel passionate about putting new and challenging stories on the stage that haven’t been heard before in a completely bold and unique way. Combining spoken word, music, dance, puppetry and street art, I guarantee audiences will see nothing else like it this year!”
Remmie Milner leads the cast in the role of Melody. Milner was one of the lead actors at the Olympic opening ceremony and her stage and screen credits include Air Travel (Arcola Theatre), Contractions (Trafalgar Studios) and Trollied (Sky1). Simone James, best known for her role as Becca Swanson in B.B.C. One’s Eastenders, and whose stage credits include Neighbors (HighTide Festival) and Chatroom/Citizenship (National Theatre), plays Blessing, while Rizla is portrayed by Darren Kuppan who has appeared on stage in Much Ado About Nothing (RSC), and East Is East (Birmingham Rep).
Tickets for Melody Loses Her Mojo are priced between £10 and £20. Tickets are available from the Box office on Williamson Square, online at www.everymanplayhouse.com or by telephone on 0151 7094776.