Preview: Pizza Shop Heroes

After a tremendous response from their run at Summerhall during the Fringe Festival this year, we are fortunate to have Phosphoros Theatre grace our HOME Theatre stage with their show, Pizza Shop Heroes, as part of Orbit Festival.

Phosphoros Theatre is a London-based company that makes autobiographical, political performances in order to shine a light on untold stories.

Officially recognised as a ‘Theatre Company of Sanctuary’ by City of Sanctuary – who offer safety to people fleeing violence and persecution – and currently in fellowship with The Unicorn Theatre for 2019/20, Phosphorus run a ‘young company’ for 14-18 year-olds who came to the UK as unaccompanied minors.

A weekly drama group is held at the Unicorn in London Bridge, so that these individuals can devise theatre projects and express their stories, alongside making new friends with others living in London.

Shortlisted for the Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award 2016, Pizza Shop Heroes stars four young men who fled their home, on their own, as children, for refuge in the UK.

Specifically, they journeyed from Afghanistan, Eritrea and Albania; all thousands of miles away.

As children, these men repeatedly recited their stories to the Home Office, in order to stand a chance at seeking asylum. Now it is time for them to reclaim their voices and share their experiences of forced migration with the public, especially as consciousness of these issues is more important than ever in the current political climate.

From the precinct of a pizza shop, we embark on a journey across time and continents to explore how these men arrived at where they are now, where they’re going, and what they’ve learnt along the way.

Having viewed this work while working at the Fringe this year, I would urge everyone to go and see the show. It is funny, heart-wrenching and invaluably educational. Hope is strong, and we must do all we can to spread the awareness.

Pizza Shop Heroes runs at HOME from Fri 4th to Sat 5th October and then continues its UK tour into November.