SPEAK LOW, RISE HIGH
From Factory Floors to Theatre Doors:
Honouring the Working-Class Stories of Luton.
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ANNOUNCING REVOLUTON’S NEW ASSOCIATE ARTIST
CHERYL PRINCE, 5D THEATRE
NEW PROJECT
SPEAK LOW, RISE HIGH
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Theatre-maker and Luton native Cheryl Prince, brings working-class language to life with her project Speak Low, Rise High. Inspired by her love for working class language including Canting which predates Cockney, a working class language which features in her first play, AWAKEN, and her Cockney poetic slang roots passed down through her grandparents, Cheryl’s passion is to celebrate rebellious, rhythmic, often overlooked forms of expression. Speak Low, Rise High will be a community-rooted creative exploration, empowering local voices and preserving Luton’s linguistic heritage and working class stories in soulful, contemporary, and joyfully defiant ways.
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As a performer, writer, producer, healer, and founder of 5D Theatre, Cheryl is excited to be developing this work on home ground. Her practice blends physical theatre, activism, spirituality, and community-building, always championing underrepresented stories and this opportunity will be a great means to explore her roots, and give expression to people in her home town by celebrating the working class legacy she grew up in.
COMMUNITY CALL OUT FOR
SPEAK LOW, RISE HIGH
Collecting Luton Working-Class Stories
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I’m gathering stories from the Luton community for a performance on 20 February at St Mary’s Church, commissioned by Revoluton Arts.
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I’m inviting people to share memories of old Luton, working-class sayings or slang, and our town’s workers’ history. Growing up with Cockney grandparents who migrated to Luton after the war, I was surrounded by stories of workers’ rights, Cockney slang like “up the apple and pears,” and a love for working-class spirit. This passion inspired my play AWAKEN, partly written in Canting, which predates Cockney, and I’ll be sharing some of that at the event.
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Alongside my own stories, I’m collecting material, memories, and words from others in the community - stories that carry humour, struggle, resilience, and the poetic power of our language.
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If you’d like to contribute, please EMAIL ME or sign up for the mailing list (below) to hear about upcoming 5D Theatre events.
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More about the project at Revoluton Arts
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