Cloud Nine Revisited

Platform 9

Young people drawn from several local schools attended a special performance of the first half of Cloud Nine, participated in workshops led by Almeida Projects, and then created their own contemporary second half, set in Islington in 2007.

In November and December 2007 we worked intensively with year 11 students from two of our partner schools: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Girls School and Central Foundation Boys School to devise scenes inspired by the Almeida Theatre’s new production of Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill.

Cloud Nine is an outrageously funny, provocative, sensitive and stirring exploration of gender, sex, families and relationships of all kinds. It was originally created in 1979 through a workshop process.

The participants helped Almeida Projects explore ideas in much the same way as Caryl Churchill worked with the original cast. They presented their responses on the Almeida stage to an invited audience in November 2007.

In a series of workshops students explored relationships, equality between the sexes and the expectations which people place on us just because of what they think we represent. What resulted was a snapshot of how far we have moved on from our attitudes of the 1970s. What has been gained? What has been lost?  Are we any happier?

Creative Team

Director of Projects

Rebecca Manson Jones

Projects Co-ordinator

Beckie Mills

Workshop Team

Ayesha Antoine

Charlie Damigos

Amy Hodge

Nicholas Khan