Octopus is an anarchic new comedy about Britishness and whether anybody knows what it is. Set in a world where how British you are is determined by the state, three women have been called in for interview. Sara looks kind of Asian. Scheherazade kind of Middle Eastern. And Sarah is kind of white and has no idea why she’s there.
Staged against the backdrop of Brexit, the refugee crisis and fears about terrorism, Octopus is set in a dystopian world of bureaucratic box ticking and absurd interviews. At a time of increasing anxiety over policing our cultural and geographical borders, it explores the mixed-race experience, how it feels to be seen as a foreigner in your own land, and the power of punk.
Fresh from a critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016 and a sell-out transfer to London’s Theatre503, Octopus manages to be sharp, direct and unapologetically funny, all while taking an unflinching look at identity politics.
Paper Tiger are a collective of theatre and film makers of many and varying backgrounds, who write narratives that are intended to serve a pedagogical function; telling audiences about marginalised communities. Following Octopus’ success over the last year, Paper Tiger are now touring the show to venues across the UK, including Newbury’s New Greenham Arts this May.
Find out just how ‘British’ Sara, Scheherazade and Sarah are deemed to be, at New Greenham Arts on Friday 19 May, 8pm. Age guide 14+. Tickets cost £13 (£11 concessions, £8.50 under-25s). Post show talk available. To book tickets, please visit the Corn Exchange website, www.cornexchangenew.com or call the Box Office on 0845 5218 218 (calls cost 2p per minute plus your telephone company’s standard access charge).
