Let’s Spend the Night Together: New Adelphi Theatre partners with HOME for special dusk till dawn performance

Let’s Spend the Night Together, part of HOME’s Homemakers Live series, is an online durational performance running from Saturday 20 June at 9pm until sunrise on Sunday 21 June. Taking place over Zoom and featuring a cast of School of Arts and Media students, audiences can drop in and out throughout the night.

On the shortest night of the year, from dusk till dawn, a band of young people – students, citizens, vagabonds, dreamers – sets out on a marathon of a task: to imagine the multiple possible ways in which the rest of their lives, and the future of the world, might pan out. Part performance, part group imagination, part lockdown insanity – the invitation is to join them as they embrace the unknown.

Let’s Spend the Night Together is the brainchild of alumnus James Monaghan who makes live art & contemporary theatre. His work often revolves around real things happening in unusual places - it’s live, risky and often humorous. James has performed & facilitated projects all over the UK, Europe, India and Canada and collaborated with endless artists and companies.

Niki Woods, Artistic Director of the New Adelphi Theatre and Senior Lecturer in Performance, said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting this HOME commissioned project, through the generosity of the Salford Advantage Fund New Adelphi Theatre were awarded this year. James is a graduate of the BA (Hons) Contemporary Theatre Practice and since graduation he has made his own work and made work with local, national and international theatre companies. We’re delighted we can support him to support our current students to make something new, something lasting and of this time.”

Speaking about her involvement in the project, Zoe King, BA (Hons) Theatre & Performance Practice student and part-time usher at the New Adelphi Theatre, said: "The rehearsal process has required us to expand our imagination, and explore alternative life events that we may never have considered until now. Whilst it is natural to focus on our hopes for the future, in this uncertain time we must also divulge into our fears and expectations.

“The material we will produce on the night is not scripted, so it has been important to equip all performers with a variety of storytelling tools. The most crucial tool I have developed, is the importance of camera angles, and how they allow for performers to create moments of intimacy with an audience that isn’t physically present. Entering the arts industry is usually nerve-racking but doing it in this current climate only adds more pressure. Therefore, I am grateful to the University of Salford for supporting its graduating students and providing us with an opportunity to gain industry experience."

Tickets are available as ‘pay what you can’, though the suggested price for this event is £5. How much you choose to pay is completely up to you, and every audience member will receive the same content and experience.

All the money raised from ticket sales for this event will be split evenly with 50% going directly to the artist and 50% to HOME’s response fund to allow HOME to continue to support future artists and commissions.

Read more about Let’s Spend the Night Together and book your place.

Find out more about the BA (Hons) Theatre & Performance Practice course.