Presented By GDIF & Actors Touring Company

THE ARCHITECT

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Duration: 75 mins

The Architect is an immersive theatrical journey through time and a city conceived by Mojisola Adebayo, Roy Williams and Matthew Xia, and created with a collective of leading Black artists including Bola Agbaje, Dexter Flanders, Vanessa Macauley and XANA.

Audiences travelled aboard an iconic red bus and were transported across South-East London. This new production asked how we create a blueprint for the future, three decades after the senseless murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Shortlisted Innovation Award The Stage Awards 2024
★★★★★ ‘Life affirming. A truly transporting ride’ The Guardian
★★★★★ ‘Led by an incredible ensemble cast’ Black in Britain
★★★★★ ‘A tribute full of care and ultimately, hope’ Financial Times
★★★★★ ‘A stunning feat. Offers a sense of hope’ The Stage
★★★★★ ‘Breathtaking. A spellbinding theatrical journey’ To Do List
★★★★★ ‘Life affirming. A truly transporting ride’ The Guardian
‘Unforgettable. Resonates deep within your soul.’ Alt Africa
‘My mind is blown. Moving and moving. Bravo’ Jumoké Fashola

Produced by Actors Touring Company and GDIF, in association with the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation.

 

Tickets for The Architect

Tickets for The Architect will be on sale from 1 August at 10am. Capacity on the bus on which The Architect takes place is extremely limited, book early to avoid disappointment.

£12 Tickets
General admission tickets to experience The Architect cost £12 each.

£10 Tickets for Greenwich One Cardholders
Greenwich One Cardholders are entitled to discounted tickets for The Architect. You can unlock £10 tickets for all performances of The Architect. Once you get to the checkout, type in the code “GREENWICH” in the promo code box and you will see your £10 tickets. You will be required to present your Greenwich One Card on arrival at the performance.

Free Tickets for Royal Borough of Greenwich Residents
There are a limited number of free tickets available to local residents in the Royal Borough Of Greenwich, some of which we are distributing through local community organisations. Please email [email protected] with your home address to find out about claiming a free ticket. Free tickets are limited to 2 per household. Free ticket holders will be asked to show proof of address on arrival at the performance.

The Architect’s Dream
If you’re unable to get tickets for The Architect, you can still experience the stirring standalone culmination of each performance, The Architect’s Dream. This powerful finale which will be staged in General Gordon Square in Woolwich at the end of each performance and can be enjoyed independently from the production on the bus. No ticket is required – just turn up.

Further ticket releases
We expect demand for The Architect to be high and due to the nature of the production, capacity is extremely limited. Please be aware that not everyone who wants tickets may be able to obtain tickets for their preferred performance. Please keep checking this page and GDIF social media for updates on any further ticket releases. No waiting list is in operation for The Architect.

The Experience

You will meet in an outdoor location in Deptford where you will be met by the characters in The Architect. From there you will board a double-decker bus and take your seat for the duration of the journey which will last about one hour.

The story of The Architect unfolds around you as the bus drives to its destination in Woolwich and scenes will take place both on the bus and outside of the bus. You will disembark the bus in Woolwich for the finale performance of The Architect’s Dream which will take place in General Gordon Square, outdoors.

The Bus

This experience takes place on a double decker bus. Each ticket entitles you to a single seat on the bus. The bus will depart promptly at the performance time and once it departs the bus will not stop except in case of an emergency. There are no toilet facilities on the bus. Some elements of the performance take place outdoors. There is no cloakroom for The Architect so please dress comfortably.

The Journey

The journey which starts in Deptford and ends in Woolwich and lasts approximately 1 hour.

Stephen Lawrence

The Architect and The Architect’s Dream have been created to mark 30 years since Stephen Lawrence was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack in Eltham.

The content of the performance is hopeful and celebrates Black Lives. The play will not re-enact any historical events. The performance context, including following a similar route to Stephen’s journey, may be highly emotional for many people. An after-care pack will be available.

The Architect has been created in consultation with and support of The Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation. Find out more about Stephen Lawrence and The Stephen Lawrence Foundation at stephenlawrenceday.org

Content Information

This production deals with themes of race. If you have any concerns about the content or context of this experience, please email [email protected]

Access for The Architect

If you have access requirements, please check that your chosen performance has the access provision you require. There are performances with BSL interpretation, captioning and audio description.

Email [email protected] for access to companion tickets free of charge.

Backed by Steel-Pan music, this free, powerful performance, provides a stand-alone culmination to The Architect right in the heart of Woolwich.

Wed 6 – Fri 8 Sep:
7.20pm and 9.20pm
Sat 9 & Sun 10 Sep:
3.20pm, 7.20pm and 9.20pm
General Gordon Square

 

More information on The Architect

Access

Bus Access

The show takes place on a moving bus. There will be one wheelchair-accessible space per show.

Accessible Toilets

There will be accessible toilets nearby the departure and end points of the route. There are no toilets on the bus.

Transport

The show will depart and end at different locations. If you plan on driving, you will need to plan transport back to the departure point.

Contact

For Access questions, contact [email protected] // 07899 893 935

For other audience questions, contact our Box Office: [email protected]

Show Access

BSL Interpreted Performances on Thursday 7th Sept 6.30pm and Saturday 9th of Sept 2:30 pm & 6.30 pm

Live Audio Description Wednesday 6th September 6.30 pm

Captioned Performance Thursday 7th Sept 6.30 pm captioned via The Difference Engine App

Easy Read Visual Guide here

Content information: The content of the performance is hopeful and celebrates Black Lives. The play will not re-enact any historical events. The performance context, including following a similar route to Stephen’s journey, may be highly emotional for many people. An after-care pack will be available.

 

About the  Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation

Stephen Lawrence Day is an opportunity for people, communities, and organisations to come together and honour Stephen’s life and legacy, stand up against discrimination in our daily lives, and work towards a more hopeful tomorrow. Through reflection, learning, and action, we can inspire change and create a better future for the next generation.

They work work in:

Classrooms
To inspire children to dream freely without barriers and to realise the importance of learning to attaining those dreams

Communities
To support and create new connections within all types of communities

Careers
To give marginalised young people access to professional opportunities across a wide range of sectors and industries

Their impact

The Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation is committed to creating a fairer society in which all young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to flourish. By providing mentoring, coaching, work experience opportunities, and bursaries for education and training, the Foundation broadens young people’s view of what’s possible, and creates pathways into education and career opportunities which might not otherwise be open to them. The Foundation empowers young people with the knowledge, skills, and qualifications they need to pursue the career of their choice, and supports them to progress along their chosen path.

stephenlawrenceday.org

Supported by

The Architect is presented in support of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation.

The Architect at GDIF 2023 is supported by The Royal Borough of Greenwich, Royal Greenwich Festivals, Arts Council England and the University of Greenwich.

With thanks to TfL,  Sugar Studios Greenwich and Berkley Homes.

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