In 2021, I was the artistic director for Cece’s Speakeasy a spoken word, storytelling, live music and visuals immersive show. It was a fantastic challenge to manage some wonderful creative and extremely talented energies to make a truly immersive show themed around climate change, coffee and chocolate.
What then came out of creating this experience was another interactive storytelling journey - the sub-story - where the world looked not much different than it does today, only without coffee and chocolate.
Below is an extract from the poem '2027 And Thinking About Babies' that inspired some of the reasoning behind the show.
I am the first up with an Autumn day it break opens a shivering song in my body the coffee is good and strong and the news bleats that crops are gone due to climate change. coffee is a sensitive plant.
The interactive journey highlights the story of Cece’s as a hide-away that serves only and everything chocolate ad coffee – coffee martini’s and chocolate chicken mole, a delicious Mexican dish that slow cooks chicken in …well, chocolate! Click to see the recipe HERE :)
The interactive story celebrates humans on a journey though time and space and the frailty we all hold as we endeavour to make the future. However, the artists are hailed as the harbingers of hope and imagination.
Here is an excerpt. Click the images to zoom in.
Written by Zena Edwards
Embedding The Other Artists
The music from the show is an integral part of the online experience, providing me with an opportunity to be inspired to write a lot of new work
Press ▷play to watch.
Composer: Eric Apappoulay. Meet the Cece's Speakeasy musicians HERE.
Creating this interactive journey was fun, and to add playfulness to an otherwise serious conversation, I added lighthearted gifs and questions that have to be answered to move one in the story. For example, answering the question about the rhyme is one way to incorporate poetry and engage audience members who saw the show and invite new ones. who hadn't.
Visit Cece’s Speakeasy to find out more about the cast and the show.
~Z~
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