RILEY CARTER MILLINGTON, Best Known for Eastenders, Heads the Cast of SAFE

SAFE is a powerful new verbatim theatre piece featuring Riley Carter Millington, who was, as Kyle Slater in EastEnders, the first transgender actor to play a long-running trans role in a British soap. SAFE will be London Theatre Workshop's first show in its new home in Leadenhall Market.

A recent study found that 25% of homeless and at risk young people identify as LGBT. SAFE, by Alexis Gregory, directed by Robert Chevara, explores the so-far untold stories of our cities' homeless and at risk LGBT youth.

SAFE will run from Monday 17 October - Saturday 22 October.

Press night is Tuesday 18 October at 7.30pm.

Via the Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity that helps and supports homeless and at risk LGBT youth, playwright Alexis Gregory interviewed some of these young people. The result is this new theatre piece interweaving their verbatim testimonies with live music and poetry, putting centre stage these stories from a diverse community. These are stories of sexuality, gender, childhood, family, identity, religion, race, addiction and survival and an exploration of what it means to feel truly safe in today's world.

The full cast is: Riley Carter Millington, Laura Jayne Ayres, Michael Fatogun, Kit Redstone.

Riley Carter Millington is currently still on screen in EastEnders. SAFE will be his first role following his departure from the series, which was announced by the BBC this week. Last year, Riley went straight to number 1 on The Independent's annual 'Rainbow List', which recognises and celebrates those who had paved the way for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality. The judging panel said that his playing Kyle "could help trans people - even save lives - and represents a landmark cultural moment". Riley is currently nominated for 'Best Newcomer' in the TV Choice awards & 'Inspirational role model of the year' in the European Diversity Awards.

Riley said: "I love the passion Alexis Gregory has for his projects and SAFE in particular, and the importance he places on authenticity, for example a trans actor playing the role of a trans person and the fact that it is based on a real life story. It's important for these stories to be shown and told, and when reading the part I was sucked in. I felt every word of what 'Jack' was saying and the struggle he'd gone through to be himself, showing us that not everyone is fortunate within their family situations or relationships.This play also shows that there are people and places out there who want to help. Organisations like the Albert Kennedy trust who have helped so many homeless and at risk people and have given them a second chance. This piece has touched me and from an actor's perceptive and it's completely different from previous roles so I'm looking forward to exploring the depths of this character with Robert Chevara and Alexis."

SAFE sold out its previous run at Soho Theatre, staged as part of the Pride in London Arts Festival.

Live Music

Tori Allen Martin (October 17, 19, 21);

Rudi Douglas (October 18, 20, 22)

Poetry written by Yrsa Daley Ward.

Post Performance Activities

Each evening, post performance, there will be a series of exciting and varied talks and Q&A's exploring 'Safe's themes with guest hosts, guest speakers and with the 'Safe' cast and creative team.

Including:

17 October: Robert Chevara ('Safe's director) interviewing Albert Kennedy Trust CEO, Tim Sigsworth, MBE.

18 October: Matthew Todd, ex-editor of 'Attitude' magazine and author of 'Straight Jacket' discussing the possible implications of growing up as LGBT.

More to be announced.

"I was born female. I was four years old and convinced there had been a mistake and I was going to grow up to become a boy and everything would become right."

"I would pray to take the homosexual side out of me and bathe myself in holy water. God knew how much I wanted to change. He would have done it if he wanted to."

"I was 13 years old. My mum said 'are you gay?' and I said 'yeah' and the first thing she did was punch me in the face. I cried my eyes out, left the house, ran away and didn't come back for a week."

Writer and producer Alexis Gregory is a London based actor, playwright and producer. His plays include; 'Slap' directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair (Theatre Royal Stratford East and 'pop up' performances for Channel 4 and additionally for The Telegraph at 'Concrete' in Shoreditch) published by Team Angelica and long listed for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize, currently being adapted by Alexis into a film version, 'Bright Skin Light' (Stratford East, workshops) and 'Safe' (Soho Theatre for the Pride in London Arts Festival, created in association with the Albert Kennedy Trust) both directed by Robert Chevara. 'Safe's October 2016 run at new theatre space, London Theatre Workshop is media partnered with Attitude Magazine. Short plays include; 'Orlando, Judy Garland and The Fierce Children of the Light' (for 'In Response to the Orlando Attack' at the St James Theatre), 'And Where There Once Were Two' (Arcola Queer Collective) and 'Freak' (Bush Theatre). Alexis' 2017 projects include a run of 'Bright Skin Light' and a new play, 'F*cked', commissioned by a new, alternative East End queer performance space. As an actor, Alexis has worked extensively on stage and screen with roles in several of Rikki Beadle Blairs plays (Tristan Bates Theatre, Birmingham Rep, Pleasance Theatre, London and Edinburgh and The Drill Hall) with additional theatre including plays at the Kings Head, Southwark Playhouse, New End Theatre, workshop productions for the Young Vic and High Tide and a performance art piece for the ICA. Screen credits include several of Team Angelicas films; 'Bashment', 'Kick Off' and 'Fit' and 'Free' (the latter two co-produced with Stonewall). TV credits include 'Casualty' for the BBC and Alexis also appeared in the recent short, 'Specimen' (screened at BFI Flare, 2016).

Director Robert Chevara is an award-winning theatre and opera director. He was the recipient of a cultural study award from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, as well as a Churchill Fellowship award. He won the Prudential award for his production of "Carmen" (Mid Wales Opera) and best contemporary opera production for Tom Adès's "Powder Her Face (Stockholm). His production of Tennessee Williams's "Vieux Carré" also won 'Best Revival of a Play Award' 2013 from Front Row Dress. His numerous theatre productions include Williams's early piece "The Chorus Girl Plays" (World premiere - Tennessee Williams Festival, Provincetown 2013), the world premiere of Lionel Bart's musical "Quasimodo" (Kings Head Theatre); and "The Glass Menagerie" (TheatreSpace, London); "As You Like It" (English Theatre Berlin); "Fair!", a play with music, which he devised with young offenders for the National Youth Theatre at Bullwood Hall Prison; Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls" (Hau Theatre, Berlin); "Hotter than Rochester" by Paul Doust (Paines Plough); JM Barrie's "Mary Rose"; Strindberg's "Easter" and "Hamlet" (TheatreSpace, London); "Eva Peron" and "The Four Twins", two one acts plays by Copi (BAC). Last year he directed the Danish premiere of Mike Bartlett's "Cock" and "Bull". It was the first time the plays had been produced as a double bill. He also directed the opera "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Copenhagen Opera Academy) and the world premiere of Alexis Gregory's "Bright Skin Light" (Theatre Royal Stratford East). This year he directed Tennessee Williams' "In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel" starring Linda Marlowe at the Charing Cross Theatre and "Geist" by JJ Bibby at The Arcola Theatre, both to critical acclaim.

SAFE is media partnered with Attitude.

SAFE

by Alexis Gregory

London Theatre Workshop

Leadenhall Market

(next to New Moon Public House

& Dining Rooms)

88 Gracechurch Street,

London EC3V 0DN

Monday 17 - Saturday 22 October

at 7.30pm

Press night Tuesday 18 October at 7.30pm

Tickets: £15 (£12 concs)

An allocation of tickets will be available on a 'pay what you can' basis.

Box office:

http://londontheatreworkshop.co.uk

Age Recommendation 16+