Bruntwood Prize Winner Three Birds makes Manchester debut, 27 Feb

Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre is set to stage Bruntwood Prize winning play Three Birds by Janice Okoh.

Presented in association with the Bush Theatre, the play runs in The Studio at the Royal Exchange later this month and centres on siblings Tiana, Tionne and Tanika, who have found themselves home alone. Tiana’s keeping it all together by taking charge of housework and homework. But Tionne’s experiments are getting stranger and Tanika’s starting to act up.

As the outside world begins to press in, the three will do anything to keep their secret safe from the adults who come to call. Set in South East London, Three Birds is described as a startling and darkly comic drama about childhood, family and fantasy.

Writer Janice Okoh took the first prize of £16,000 when the play won the 2011 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. Janice was herself born and raised and still lives in South East London. She turned to playwriting after a background in law and a career in the city.

She has been writing since she was 14 years old and Three Birds is her second full-length play for theatre. She has also had work produced for radio.

Royal Exchange Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom directs this new production. Her RET successes include Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster and, most recently, Orpheus Descending.

The cast includes Claire Brown as Ms Jenkins; Michaela Coel as Tiana; Jahvel Hall as Tionne; Lee Oakes as Dr Feelgood and Susan Wokoma as Tanika. The creative team is completed by Louie Whitemore (design), Kay Haynes (lighting) and Emma Laxton (sound).

Three Birds is at the Royal Exchange Studio from 27 February – 16 March and the Bush Theatre from 20 March – 20 April.