TASK 2:

AFROBUZZ: Home Is Where The Heart Is:

 In the temporary theatre; The Shed, by the National
Theatre.
 The audience is challenged by the cast of “Home”.
 Home is a stark yet heart-warming compilation of tales
based on true testaments, as a collective of young
people battle to keep their lives on track.
 Based in an anonymous youth hostel.
 The play is about homelessness, mainly to do with 16–
25-year-olds in the UK.
 A diverse group of working-class people.
 At the start there was no script, just hours of
footage/recordings.
 Some was comedic, others shocking and emotional.
 The recordings were condensed to try and take the
essence of the stories and people.
 Some characters are very positive and optimistic about
the hostel and others are scared or insecure.
 There is a beatboxer that underscores all the songs;
which gives it more of a contemporary feel.
 It is not fictional therefore it is crucial to be honest to the
characters and their stories.
 The play is about struggle which appeals to everyone
from all walks of life.
 What Do You Think Is the Focus of
The Piece?
The focus of the piece is to portray what the reality of life is
like in a youth hostel from real people and their stories; it is
also to provide a platform for people who are struggling with
the threat of homelessness to have a voice, where usually
they can be overlooked by society.

How was the piece created?

The piece was created by archiving real people’s personal
accounts of living in a youth hostel; their experiences as well
as range of personalities. By collecting recordings of
anecdotes and insight, they were hours of research was
condensed into the main essence of the vast variety of
people living the hostel’s personalities. The anecdotes were
sometimes comedic, shocking or emotional. The bulk of
stories were compiled into the key elements of the people’s
lives.

What key piece of advice is given to

you about portraying character?
The key piece of advice that I was given was that it is very
important as an actor to invest time into research and fully
understanding the character you are playing, particularly if
that person is real, because it is vital to realistically portray
them in a way which isn't mocking or stereotyped. An
honest representation is the only way to really give them a
voice and to help an audience understand.
TASK 2:
Home: Giving A Voice To Young People:
 Following the London riots, the Writer/Director wanted
to create a piece where young people were heard.
 Stories were found from the residents of a hostel in East
London.
 Very involving because these people were often
ignored.
 Music was very important to get into people’s psyche to
everyone especially teenagers.
 Often in interviews people sometimes really want
communicate something but don’t feel comfortable to, in
songs big subtext can be explored.
 The music has to reflect the honesty.
 One character communicates through beatboxing,
which represents everyone who was too shy or didn’t
get a chance to express their stories.
 Documentary theatre means that the story can change
for the better or worse.
 The play takes people who are alienated from society
and tells their stories with intimate detail so that you
have to acknowledge and engage with them as people
and not marginalise.
 There is a disconnect between society and this youth
hostel, this play helps to bridge the gap.
 What is the purpose/use of the
music within the piece?
The music provides an almost emotional aspect to the play
which helps communicate the character’s personality,
emotion and subtext which perhaps isn’t conveyed through
the dialogue. The music is also honest and diverse
representing a range of different people and their individual
emotions and lives. The music almost acts as a way of
narrating the subtext of the characters throughout the play.