Hip-Hop Theatre Show Begins National Tour at Artsdepot

MOBO and
Mercury Award-winning jazz and urban artist Soweto Kinch has written the score
and up-and-coming UK rapper Bashy will be taking on the lead
role. This highly unusual project sees a cast of seven rap the narrative
from beginning to end, telling the story of a young emcee’s attempts
to stay true to his creative ideals in the face of pressure from a
profit-obsessed music industry. Markus the Sadist takes a wry look at how hip-hop is
created and marketed in this country and internationally.

Writer and
director Jonzi D is one of UK hip-hop culture’s most important players. In
addition to founding and curating the hugely successful Breakin’
Convention festival, which has taken place at Sadler’s Well’s for the
last six years running, Jonzi D has performed all over the world as an
emcee/poet, collaborating with the likes of The Roots and Steve Williamson. His
production company, Jonzi D Productions, produces original hip-hop theatre work
and develops hip-hop theatre through outreach and education programmes. Every
month at Soho Theatre Jonzi D Productions holds a public showcase of new hip-hop
theatre work called The Surgery.

Soweto
Kinch and Bashy – who last year won Most Inspiring Act at the Urban Music
Awards – have both taken a break from successful solo music careers to take part in this
extraordinary collaboration. Jonzi D and Kinch have worked together before, on the Hockley
Flyover Show, a day-long Birmingham arts festival.

Following
the artdepot dates, Markus the Sadist tours to
Stockton-on-Tees, Nottingham, Maidenhead, Malvern and Manchester before returning to
London for one performance at the Bloomsbury Theatre on 19 October. It then
visits Birmingham and Leeds and finishes the tour in Ipswich on 30 and 31
October.

www.markusthesadist.com