The Show Must Go On...In London

The Season of Collaboration continues with the London premiere of It Goes Unsaid at the Accidental Festival, curated by the Performing Arts Program at the Central School of Speech and Drama. The Festival is produced in conjunction with the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA).

It Goes Unsaid will premiere Thursday, May 22, at 9:30 PM at the ICA’s Theatre, located at The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH. The show is open to the public, and tickets are 6 pounds each.

Bringing the show to London is a challenge--financially, creatively, and professionally. But the production team is committed, and everyone is pooling their resources to make the most of this wonderful opportunity.

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About the Festival

For three years, the Accidental Festival has encouraged excellence within a myriad field of arts, providing a platform for new and eclectic work of the highest quality. The aim of the festival is shared work, discussion, education and the development of practice through participation. The theme for this year’s festival is “provoke,” and It Goes Unsaid is the only production featuring and produced by African-American and Latino talent.

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About the ICA

The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an exhibition centre, a cinema, a theater, a music venue, a space for new and digital media and a forum for discussion and ideas. The ICA upholds a truly multi-disciplinary sensibility which uniquely characterizes the institution. Throughout its 60-year history, artists and luminaries such as T.S Eliot, Stravinsky, Jacques Derrida, Michael Foucault, Gerhard Richter, Yoko Ono, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith and Slavoj Zizek have kept the ICA at the forefront of contemporary arts.

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Under the Spell Productions’ Artistic Director, Rhonney Greene, emphasized the importance of bringing the show to the United Kingdom: “It is an honor and a privilege to be selected by the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama to bring our work to audiences abroad. London is a powerhouse in contemporary theater, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform at the renowned Institute of Contemporary Arts.”

Teresa Michelle Lasley, Executive Director of Under the Spell Productions, is optimistic about the season and the partnership. “I founded this company in 2005 because there were simply too few opportunities for talented artists, especially artists of color, to perform in quality productions. In three short years, we have grown so much, breaking barriers to bring our audience unique, entertaining, and engaging performances. I want to thank everyone who has come together to make London, and our continued success, possible—our performers, our backstage talent, mentors, and our broad base of support from friends, family, and the community.”

A fundraising campaign is underway to secure support for the season, and has put the London opportunity within reach. Derek Lee McPhatter, Director of Development, is spearheading the effort: “corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, individual donations, rehearsal space, performance space, frequent flyer miles, hotel points, costumes—we are looking for support in whatever way possible. Every little bit helps.”