This month I will be talking to a few acts that are taking part in the Peckham Fringe. Today I find out about the show Brother’s Keeper.

Location: Theatre Peckham
Date: 17th and 18th May
Time: 19:30
Ticket Price: £17.50 Concessions £12.50
Link: https://www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/show/brothers-keeper/

Hello! Tell us about your act ?

This act is something that I promise hasn’t been done before at this scale. It’s a spoken word, immersive, movement show with Krump all wrapped up ‘neatly’ in the confines of a party for the audience to come and vibe in, whilst having their minds tricked into what this party really entails under the mask of young brotherly relationships.

How did you come up with the name of your show that you are taking to the Peckham fringe?

The term ‘Brother’s Keeper’ is a biblical reference that comes from the idea of someone who looks out for and cares for others, even if they are not actually related to him or her. Now on a basic level the show is about a younger brother doing the most to look after his older brother and make sure he has a good time, in the same way his older brother looked after him, making him ‘His Brother’s Keeper’ but in the grander scheme of things as the show begins to spiral into a realm of guilt and blame the audience become ‘Brother’s Keeper’ to our protagonist Kwaku as they lend their time, and care for him as he pours out his true feelings, making the room filled with people who all become, ‘Brother’s Keepers’

Tell us a little bit about your style of show?

The style of this show is immersive, from the moment audience walk in they are welcomed to tunes and vibes and Kwaku greeting them into the house with food and drinks and music, however we begin to layer it with spoken word, that Kwaku use to flow and tell the memories and hilarious stories of his older brother Eyram, who is onstage as a shadow. This style of using shadow work on stage as Eyram interacting with the physical body of Kwaku allows us to play with this fun world of what is really behind the mask of family stories and the ‘truth behind the veil’ that the shadow is cast on. We also use a form of movement called KRUMP, which is an expressive and explosive art form of dance that allows us to showcase what the characters internal feelings look like externally and as the emotions and truth increases so does the aggression and expression of KRUMP.

How are the rehearsals going?

Insane! To the point where some of the things we are rehearsing I wish we could put in the show. Ntonga (who plays Eyram) and I have been doing freestyle Krump sessions with each other to keep finding new ways of connecting with each other but also finding ways to tell two stories at the same time; one through the subtext of movement and shadow work and the other through Kwaku’s words and flow. It has been so fun exploring and our director Richard Adetunji always finds new ways to bring things out of us and also little easter eggs that we will be scattering through the show to see if the audience catches it.

What advice would you give to others who want to perform at Peckham Fringe next year?

Don’t worry about making a perfect show/script, just make one that is honest. Do something that is honest to you and a story that you know you can tell with the most amount of truth and passion and then fill it up with every ounce of ambition and drive to make it the best it can possibly be. I first pitched a show that I felt was what audiences wanted to see but I struggled because I didn’t have the drive to actually create it, so I went back and thought, what’s something I know like the back of my hand, and that I feel will be something that I would like to watch. Not what reviewers would like. Not what audiences would like. Not even what Theatre Peckham would like. Something I want to see onstage. And from there if I do it right enough, then everyone else will enjoy it as much as I do because of the passion and energy I bring to it. So yeah…do that.

What is the best thing about performing at the Peckham fringe?

The best thing is performing on a stage that is in the ends. A stage where it feels like all the community comes through to see theatre and art without judgement or care and to just take in honest and new stories and that’s exactly the vibe Peckham Fringe gives. Also a lot of my favourite shows have been put on here like I Love Acting But F*ck This Industry, Sunny Side Up, etc. To be a part of the history of these shows is amazing and I’ve loved it and plan to honour that legacy of greatness at the Peckham Fringe.

If people want to find out more about you where can they follow you on social media?

My instagram is selorm.official. Follow to find out not just more about the show but also some of the upcoming projects that I have in development in the film industry and the work I’m currently doing on some high-end shows coming to you very soon. Clue: Paramount Plus Series…

And Finally finish this sentence – ‘you should see our show at Peckham Fringe because…

if you want to come to a show that embodies the joys of a party and throws you into a world of never before seen theatre and art forms onstage, then this is the perfect show for that newfound experience that you won’t get anywhere else. You heard it here first.