Service with a Smile - Bold! Bradford

I was kindly invited by Andrew and Ella from Bold! Bradford to share a 30 minute extract of my solo show, Service with a Smile, at their latest scratch night in November. Taking place at The Underground, I shared the stage with beautiful poet and dance duo, Sammy and Devina, and music maestro, Musumba. 

This was the longest staged sharing of my piece yet and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to explore transitions between scenes, puppetry within the storytelling, and the reality of juggling lines, cleaning and continuity onstage! 

Directing this version was Leanne Rowley - someone I hugely admire in the industry, who brings warmth, creativity and technical know-how in abundance. We shared a rehearsal room for one single day to prepare for Bold! and let's just say I slept well that night! I'm grateful Leanne stretched my performing abilities beyond what I thought possible, in such a short time frame, to build this world onstage. 

The audience play a huge part in Bold! nights as they are all asked to complete feedback forms based on questions we as artists have about our work. The response was outstanding. Supportive, constructive, connected, generous - the list goes on. Bradford is lucky to have so many champions of local art. 

Andrew and Ella have created a space encouraging bravery, vulnerability and community. Their professionalism and encouragement throughout the process knew no bounds - leading to a safe, supportive performing environment. I've never known a scratch night to also offer a reflection session after the event to define next steps for a project. It's been a special and privileged room to be in. 

It's always the people that make projects like this so memorable. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the show and watched my performance. That night has reignited my passion to resubmit my ACE R&D bid so hopefully Service with a Smile can be back with a bang in 2026. 

If you missed it, the wonderful Keyhan Modaressi filmed the entire performance, available below: