A co-production between Theatre Centre and Sheffield Theatres, Birds and Bees opens 25th January at the Playhouse in Sheffield and tours to theatres and schools nationally until March 2023.
Leilah is wondering if her Instagram is more of a burden than ‘living her best life’. Billy’s queer and proud but ignored by the education system; they’re tired of feeling invisible. Aarron is learning how to be a man online and it’s starting to feel toxic. And Maisy, well Maisy’s not that into sex, thank you very much.
Thrown together, these four confront their differences and realise their power to create change.
Birds and Bees is a new play by critically acclaimed writer Charlie Josephine (I, Joan, Shakespeare’s Globe) and a searing exploration of identity, consent, sex positivity, online safety and intersectionality.
Birds and Bees originally launched digitally during the 2020 lockdown and was watched by over 500 schools across the UK. This live premiere of the play has been developed in collaboration with Sheffield Theatres and has been reworked by Charlie alongside groups of young people ahead of the 2023 tour.
Aarron | Richard Logun
Billy | Milo McCarthy
Leilah | Dumile Sibanda
Maisey | Sandra Belarbi
Writer | Charlie Josephine
Director | Rob Watt
Sound Designer | Lee Affen
Movement Director | Yami Löfvenberg
Lighting Designer | Hector Murray
Designer | Bethany Wells
Movement Assistant | Elsabet Yonas
Company Stage Manager | Lizzie Bond
Production Manager | Gareth Edwards
Lighting Programmer | Connor O’Neil
Casting Consultant | Becky Paris
Artwork | Guy J Sanders
Audio Describer | Chris Berry
Captioner | Cara Lawless
Sign Language Interpreter | Julie Fletcher
Producers | Amy Michaels, Emma Rees
Assistant Producer | Niamh Parker-Whitehead
Marketing for Theatre Centre | Rachel Bellman
Marketing Consultants | Jane Morgan Associates
Public Relations | Chloe Nelkin Consulting, Jo Allan PR
Schools Resources | Hannah Austin
Production Photography | Chris Saunders
Supported by Arts Council England