Imagine If Announces Autumn 2017 Theatre and Prison Tour for YOU FORGOT THE MINCE

Following its 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe run at the Pleasance Courtyard (7 - 28 August, excl. 21 August), Imagine If's production of Francesca Joy's gritty new play You Forgot the Mince will tour prisons and theatres across England this Autumn.

The tour will start at The Courtyard Theatre, London (26 - 30 September) before playing Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester (2 October), MAC, Birmingham (3 October), The Castle, Wellingborough (4 October), Shoebox Theatre, Swindon (6 and 7 October) and finishing at Interplay Theatre, Leeds (12 - 14 October).

Between the Edinburgh run and the tour, You Forgot the Mince will also play at a number of prisons across England, where the company will facilitate drama workshops to accompany the performances.

Inspired by real life events and set in Leeds, Francesca Joy's play tells the story of a modern day abusive relationship: 'Rosa lives with her grandma Lily. She's just finished college and she can't wait to leave Yorkshire and all the people in it ... until she meets Niko. They fall head over heels in love, and the future's looking bright. But their love for each other is tested to the limit; Rosa leaves for London, Niko ends up in prison and Lily won't stop baking cakes. Everyone's world is falling apart, but no-one's talking about it. How are they going to get their lives back on course?'

Francesca Joy conceived, researched and wrote You Forgot The Mince supported by dramaturg Mark Catley (BBC). Francesca, who is also Founding Artistic Director of Imagine If, grew up in care from the age of 15, and she has experienced various forms of abuse throughout her life. As a trained actor, writer and producer, Francesca uses her first-hand experience to inform the art which Imagine If creates and she is passionate about working with those underrepresented in the arts.

You Forgot The Mince is performed by Francesca Joy, Ursula Mohan and Prince Plockey. It is directed by Stephen Whitson (UK Associate Director on the West End transfer of the Broadway hit show Hamilton and currently Associate Director of 42nd Street at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane). Movement is by award-winning choreographers Errol White and Davina Givan, of White & Givan, and sound by Ed Clarke.

The production features an amalgamation of verbatim text, original text and physical theatre accompanied by an original score. The interactions between the characters poignantly highlight the stark reality of control and coercion, interlaced with humour and normality.

Imagine If is a Leeds-based theatre company and charity, founded in 2014, which tours new writing to theatres and prisons across the UK. Its productions are based on the world around us comprising real stories from real people, placing those without a voice at the forefront of each Imagine If production. As well as theatre productions, Imagine If runs a range of drama-based workshops across the UK with offenders, ex-offenders, those with mental health issues, recovering addicts, young adults in the care system and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. You Forgot the Mince had an extensive research phase including drama workshops in HMP Leeds and with ex-offenders within the community.

Imagine If are supporting young adults in care with a number of free tickets available for every show, at each venue (including four for every show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe). Contact individual tour venues for more details.

For full Autumn tour listings and ticket details, visit: www.imagineiftheatre.co.uk.

Twitter: @imagine_if_co / Facebook: @imagineiftheatrecompany

Show trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hh8yL6xQdI&t=1s