SCOOTERS, SHOOTERS, AND SHOTTAS: A CURIOUS TALE is launched at The Gate Theatre

Platforming the untold experiences of marginalised voices, Gate Theatre will host the launch of Scooters, Shooters and Shottas: a Curious tale, a new audio drama that highlights the lives of young black queer communities.

This new podcast showcases hidden street-level experiences and addresses vital themes of race, class and sexuality in an energetic and engaging drama. Directed by multi-award winning Rikki Beadle-Blair (MBE), a gay man of Jamaican descent and lifelong Londoner, and informed by co-creator Urbain Hayo's personal experiences of growing up as a Rwandan refugee and having to hide his sexuality, the launch will present excerpts of the audio drama before engaging in a lively panel of key creatives. This event will engage and inspire audiences in a timely discussion about making art against the odds, overcoming discrimination, and facilitate a community conversation about homophobia in the Black community, and the barriers faced by outsiders everywhere.

Set on a racially diverse council estate in South London, Scooters, Shooters and Shottas: a Curious tale follows the rowdy antics of a group of raucous Black queer outsiders with dreams of breaking big as grime artists. The audio drama explores masculinity, stigma around homosexuality in the Black community, and the struggle to pursue creative endeavours, as well as the socio-economic challenges faced by the black queer community in London. Written and co-created by multi-award-winning author and screen and stage writer John R. Gordon (Noah's Arc, Logo TV; Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, GLAAD Best (limited release) Feature Award and nominated for NAACP Image Award) and joined by a fantastic cast of black/mixed race and queer artists, Scooters, Shooters and Shottas platforms a significant contribution to Black queer drama to present the different lives of transgressive urban characters.

In a Sex Education meets Top Boy style audio drama, the piece gives a voice to under-represented queer people of colour. Reflecting an honest and well-rounded insight into club culture, the drama fosters discussions about racism, homelessness, homophobia and other issues faced by the black LGBTQ+ community, which are further facilitated for in the panel.

The panel will feature Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE (director/producer), John R Gordon (scriptwriter/producer, concept co-creator) and Urban Wolf (star, producer, concept co-creator). They will be joined by co-stars Dior Clarke and Curtis Brown, and also sound designer Kayode/Kayodeine Gomez.

Co-creator Urbain Hayo says, Our goal was to make an exciting audio drama, thrilling listeners with something bitingly authentic and joyously larger than life. Scooters, Shooter and Shottas introduces feisty Black queer roadman trio, Kola, Ranksy and Bunni Boi, in a hair-raising, hilarious tale of drug deals gone wrong and mad moped chases. We plan to use the podcast format, which is effective, affordable and highly accessible, to tell further tales from the queer endz under the Curious umbrella.

Scooters, Shooters and Shottas: a Curious tale is a Team Angelica/TheArtMachine co-production Supported by Arts Council England.