Reset the Stage online

It’s hard to believe that theatres up and down the country have been closed for the past 15 months; an industry that offers such joyous and fulfilling experiences has been brought to its knees because of a deadly virus that has been running rampant around the planet, tearing up lives, families and careers. The strictest lockdown in history has lasted for the best part of the year but that hasn’t stopped artists and creatives from taking to the stage and performing to their hearts’ content.

Here’s where non-profit arts organisation The Mono Box comes in with their aim to support emerging talent in the film and theatrical industries. They provide individuals access to affordable training and writing opportunities, all while connecting future collaborators and empowering them to speak out about the issues that matter most.

Its latest project, Reset the Stage, challenges seven playwrights from ethnically diverse backgrounds to showcase their work in an evening of monologue sharing. Hosted by Sir Derek Jacobi, the venture bears witness to a group of talented actors who deliver engaging and emotionally charged performances, which relate to the topics of race, love and mental health. Danny Kirrane and Isabella Laughland deserve a special mention here for their sketches Rush and Cynthia, respectively, which deal with powerful matters such as existentialism and death and are played out with utmost conviction.

Despite the limiting circumstances caused by the pandemic, the creative team have done a tremendous job filming in various theatrical pockets in London, including the empty rehearsal rooms and stages of the Almeida and the Young Vic. Each piece speaks truth amid the surrounding calm, demonstrating that stories big and small are everywhere and voices, no matter where their origin, deserve to be heard.

Ghazaleh Golpira
Photo: Helen Murray

Reset the Stage is streaming online from 17^th June until 3^rd July 2021. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Reset the Stage here: