17 MAY – 3 JUN

In person and online 

269 Westferry Rd, London E14 3RS

Performance times: 7:30pm, 2:30pm matinees

Tickets are Pay What You Choose £8-£16

Recommended 16+ 

Trigger warnings: references to sexual exploitation, intimidation, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, self harm and suicide 

When is a story ready to tell? Who wins and who loses when we ‘cash in’ on our trauma?

Inspired by the ongoing real events of a college cult, Longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize 2022, Francis Grin’s DREAM SCHOOL is a thriller about who wins and who loses when we “cash in” on trauma. When a student’s father, Bobby, moves into the student halls, his charisma, care and knowledge are enticing. But as he drives the students towards self-improvement, boundaries become blurred and their safety is uncertain. A decade later, ex-student Betty assumes it’s safe to tell their story. But are they just one memory away from reliving it all? 

DREAM SCHOOL is an exploration of the relationship between storytelling and trauma, asking the question, ‘when is a story ready to tell and how do we tell it?’. This project forms part of A Call for Safe Practice, a long-term ambition to provide accredited guidance and training on how to make trauma-informed art safely, made possible thanks to the University of Greenwich, Arts Council England and all those who have donated and supported us. 

Mrs C’s Collective is proudly an Associate Company at the Space theatre. They exist as an ally to theatre artists, as an artistic community providing inclusive initiatives and hands-on experience. They want to make a career in the arts accessible to all. Mrs C’s are currently engaging with 256 early-career, emerging and practising artists across their various free initiatives, events and workshops, and their long-term development programme The Writers’ Collective, funded by Arts Council England. Previous productions include That Was All (Theatre503, OSO Arts Centre, the Space) which was met with critical acclaim (“What a treat to see art on stage” The Spectator; “compelling” Everything Theatre).

Writer – Francis Grin
Director – Charlotte Everest
Creative Psychotherapist – Caroline Brindle
Set and Costume Designer – Caitlin Mawhinney
Lighting Designer – Ben Garcia
Project partner – the University of Greenwich

https://space.org.uk/event/dream-school/