NIGHT SHIFT

NIGHT SHIFT a new play by Paula B. Stanic

While you sleep, millions of people are working. This is their story.

Unfolding over a single night shift, an unlikely group of night workers – who have more in common than they realise – are embroiled in a life-changing series of events.

What follows is an epic tale of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, as an ordinary evening turns into an extraordinary night.

Written by celebrated playwright Paula B. Stanic, this gripping new play is performed using an innovative combination of spoken English, BSL, visual vernacular and creative captioning – giving a unique and startling window into the often overlooked lives of night workers.

Featuring Zoo Co's signature blend of ensemble movement, projection, sound and light, Night Shift is an unmissable theatre experience that will leave you wondering why the people and things we overlook are often those we rely on the most

Age guidance: 14+

All Zoo Co performances are relaxed as standard. All performances are creatively captioned, use BSL and are suitable for deaf/hard of hearing audiences. The performance on Friday 24 November is audio described.

Zoo Co is supported by Arts Council England, The Foyle Foundation, Postcode Society Trust and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Night Shift is presented as part of This is Croydon - London Borough of Culture.

Just one year after taking the Barbican by storm with multi-award winning Perfect Show for Rachel, Croydon-based Zoo Co presents this bold and visually stunning new show.

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Night Shift images

photos by Cam Harle

Production Gallery

Paul Brown and Ciaran Stewart in Night Shift. Photo-Cam Harle

Paul Brown in Night Shift. Photo Cam Harle -

Becky Barry in Night Shift. Photo- Cam Harle

Paul Brown and Ciaran Stewart in Night Shift. Photo-Cam Harle

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Feedback for Night Shift

Night Shift in Rehearsal

photos by Henri T

Rehearsal Gallery

Ace Mahbaz and Becky Barry in rehearsals for Night Shift

Adam Bassett and Paul Brown in rehearsals for Night Shift

Ace Mahbaz and Becky Barry in rehearsals for Night Shift

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Behind the scenes trailer

CAST

Night Shift is performed by nine deaf and hearing actors.

Becky Barry

Becky Barry is a theatre maker and BSL/English interpreter (Becky Allen RSLI).

She is thrilled to return to work with ZooCo, having been a part of the team for Perfect Show for Rachel. She has worked across the UK and abroad, including regular collaborations with The Royal Exchange, Derby Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, Figs in Wigs and The RSC. Her work is multi-disciplinary, including actor-musicianship, performance of BSL interpretations of Shakespeare, assistant directing and creative associateship, workshop delivery, film making, and mentoring. Becky is a passionate advocate for access provision, representation and liberation - onstage and off.

Adam Bassett

Adam’s Theatre credits include: Robin Hood and the Major Oak (Derby Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Hull Truck); Macbeth (Leeds Playhouse); 4.48 Psychosis (Deafinitely Theatre); Up ‘n’ Under (Fingersmiths); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Deafinitely Theatre), and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Deafinitely Theatre).

TV: Hullraisers S2 (Channel 4); Moving On (BBC One); Deaf Funny, Small World, and Four Deaf Yorkshiremen Go To Blackpool (BSLBT).

As BSL Consultant: The Real & Imagined History of the Elephant Man (Nottingham Playhouse); Julius Caesar (RSC); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare North Playhouse/Not Too Tame); Upon The Stairs (UK Tour); Dare Master (CITV), and A Christmas Carol (Leeds Playhouse). Adam was also Associate Director on Oliver Twist (Ramps On The Moon/Leeds Playhouse).

Paul Brown

Theatre Credits: In 2019 Paul had his professional and West End debut as an original cast member in GROAN UPS at the Vaudeville Theatre.
In 2021/22 , Paul reprised his roles with Mischief Theatre in the UK tour of GROAN UPS. In 2022 Paul was cast as the lead in Potted Potter which toured Ireland. Since then, he has returned to Ireland several times over the year to reprise the role.

Television Credits include EASTENDERS.

During the pandemic, Paul performed multiple roles in a range of Digital Theatre productions for Taking Flight Theatre.

Workshops/Research and Development: Ensemble actor for Milton Hall (National Theatre)
BSL Actor in Romeo & Juliet
(Derby Theatre), BSL collaborator/Actor for Martha (Deaf and Fabulous Productions), Ensemble/BSL collaborator for Nightshift (ZooCo Productions).

Alexandra James

Alexandra trained at Arden School of Theatre, Acting for Live & Recorded Media

Theatre for Zoo Co includes Messy and Rise of The Refrain. Other theatre includes: Stan (Art with Heart), Aleiah's Adventure (Z Arts), The Night Before Christmas (Leeds Playhouse), The Winter's Tale (Mawa Theatre Company), The Jungle Book (Derby Theatre), Nine Foot Nine (Sleepless Theatre).

Television includes: Aisha in Sex Education Series 4 (Netflix), The Break Series 5 (BBC 3)

Short Film Includes: The Letter (Samuel Dore), Eva (Shezai Fejzo)

Radio: Three Sisters Rewired (BBC Radio 4)

Ace Mahbaz

Ace Mahbaz is a multifaceted Deaf artist with a dynamic international presence. Born in Iran, he currently lives between Berlin and London. With fluency in six sign languages and International Sign, Ace has worked extensively in sign language theatres including Teater Manu (Oslo), Riksteater Crea (Stockholm), International Visual Theatre (Paris), and Deafinitely Theatre (London).

Over the last 15 years, Ace has appeared onstage in 11 European countries as an actor, storyteller, and presenter. Highlights include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare's Globe), and Peter Pan and Hem (Riksteater Crea).

On screen, Ace starred in Love is Blind, nominated for a Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2015. He is delighted to be working with Zoo Co and long-time collaborator Duffy, with whom he worked on the groundbreaking BSL TV series Small World.

Shreya M Patel

Shreya M Patel is a disabled and neurodivergent actress based in North London. Her career started in Leeds with productions such as Searching for the Heart of Leeds (Leeds Playhouse), Mother Courage and Her Children (Red Ladder Theatre Company), and Hamlet (Leeds Playhouse). Recent credits include Perfect (Dave), Then Barbara Met Alan (BBC), MO <3 KYRA (Film4) and Much Ado About Nothing (Sheffield Theatres). She draws on her experiences of disability from chronic fatigue and migraine into all of her work and is passionate about access in the performing arts industry.

Emma Prendergast

Emma Prendergast trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. They often work in a mixture of integrated BSL (British Sign Language), SSE (Sign Supported English) and Spoken English.

Their work in Theatre includes: The Odyssey (National Theatre); A Clear Comfort
(Van Gogh House); A Christmas Carol (Hull Truck and Leeds Playhouse); Messy (ZooCo); The Witchfinder’s Sister (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch); Resisters (Yellow Arch Studios); Amelia (South Streets Art Centre); Winter Wonderland (Hull New Theatre); Alice in Wonderland (Global English Theatre); Cinderella (Redbridge Drama Centre); Hysteria (Catalyst Festival); Dracula (The Loco Klub); Welcome to Thebes (Tobacco Factory); Under Milk Wood (UK tour); and The Wizard of Oz (Redgrave Theatre). TV includes Eastenders and Doctors.

Fleur Angevine Rooth

Fleur is a passionate advocate for accessibility and has worked on the Creative Access of various shows including Bossy (Southbank Centre), Different Owners at Sunrise (Roundhouse), and Perfect Show For Rachel (Barbican). Fleur is keenly continuing through her BSL levels and Audio Description training. Previous BSL integrated shows include Messy (UK tour) and Sirens (Three Week's Editor's Choice Award winner, UK tour) and currently Night Shift, as part of Croydon’s Borough Of Culture large events programme.

Ciaran Stewart

Ciaran is an actor and one of the first ten graduates of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Performance in BSL & English BA.

Training: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Theatre credits include: Much Ado About Nothing (Sheffield Theatres/Tour); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe); Pop Music (Paines Plough); Tribes (Sheffield Theatres); Junkyard (Headlong/Bristol Old Vic/Theatre Clywd/Rose Theatre); Dr Johnston Goes to Scotland (Traverse Theatre/Oran Mor); Last Woman Left, Love and Information, Scavengers (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)

Screen credits include: Traces (UKTV); Dream On! (BBC); A Love Divided (Solar Bear); The Letter (104 Films)

CREATIVE TEAM

Paula B. Stanic - Writer

Paula grew up in Manor Park, East London and is of Caribbean descent. She’s been a writer in residence (Soho Theatre), writer on attachment (National Theatre Studio) and won the 2008 Alfred Fagon Award. She was part of the 2016-17 Drama Room at BBC Writersroom and on the BBC New Talent Hotlist.

The theatre credits she’s most proud of include: Monday (Red Ladder) short-listed for the John Whiting Award. Pancras Boys Club co-written with Ben Musgrave & David Watson (Only Connect). 6 Minutes ‘Everything Must Go’ (Soho Theatre). Under a Foreign Sky National Tour (Theatre Centre) published by Stagescripts. Miss World… 1970 (Peer Productions) and Messiah devised/ co-written with Jesse Briton on the legacy of Black Panther activist Fred Hampton (National tour).
Paula has written shorts for – Soho, The Bush, Almeida Projects and Tangle.
She is currently working on plays for Salisbury Playhouse (Wiltshire Creative), Prime Theatre & ZooCo. What’s Lost will be published by Concord Theatricals/ Samuel French in 2021.

She is currently developing: a screenplay with Michael Soyannwo – an East London love story set in the 80’s as the two-tone movement rises, plus a number of drama ideas with director Makalla Mcpherson.

Paul is particularly interested in little known historical and contemporary black British narratives and stories with the potential for some international collaboration.

Duffy - Co-Director

Duffy is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, physical and visual vernacular performer. Duffy has created work for Deafinitely theatre, Deaf Explorer, BSLZone and has led workshops at London International Mime Festival, Soho Theatre and has toured internationally at festivals such as Festival Clin D’Oeil, Reims.

In 2018 he starred in Deafinitely Theatre’s ★★★★★ production of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis which earned a nomination from Broadway World UK. During lockdown Duffy featured in the filmed short extract from Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting, for National Theatre of Scotland. The film received ★★★★ from The Scotsman.
Alongside stage work, Duffy is a filmmaker and a writer. His first short film Strangers made for the BSLBT’s Zoom film scheme won Best Director at the Festival D’Oeil and his second film One Letter won Best Film at Santa Barbara Shorts Festival. Duffy has also starred on I HATE SUZIE (Sky) and worked on both series as the show’s BSL consultant

Flo O'Mahony - Co-Director

Flo is a theatre director, writer, facilitator, and Artistic Director for Zoo Co.

Flo co-founded the company alongside 3 school mates ten years ago, and since then, has developed a creative practice that uses devising, Open Space, collaboration and co-creation methodology to make theatre that is highly visual, extra live and creatively accessible.

As a company that started in Croydon, Flo is super proud to be celebrating Zoo Co's ten year anniversary here as part of the Borough of Culture programme.

Recent work includes: Perfect Show For Rachel (Lead Facilitator, Barbican - OFFIE winner), Risky Business (Co-creator, Zoo Co Young Company), Bossy (Co-director, UK Tour), Follow the Signs (Associate Director, Soho Theatre), Messy (Director, UK tour), Sirens (Director, Greenwich Theatre + UK tour, Winner: Three Week's Editor's Choice Award), Manimals by Michelle Hudson (Director, sell-out UK/ Canadian digital tour), and Mr Brightside by Nick Gilbert (Director, Brighton Fringe, Greenwich Theatre).

Flo is delighted to have been trained and mentored by some incredible practitioners, including mentor Lee Simpson (Improbable), Kath Burlinson (Authentic Artists), Paul Ortel, Clore Leadership, National Youth Theatre and Company Three, who have all radically influenced her practice.

Stella Backman - Set & Costume Designer

Stella Backman is a London based Set & Costume designer working predominantly in live arts and TV/film. Recent work includes The Great (Lionsgate+), Bossy (Lyric Hammersmith, Southbank Centre), Perfect Show for Rachel (The Barbican), Different Owners at Sunrise (Roundhouse), Elephant in the Room (Roundhouse) and King Rodolfo (Pleasance Queen Dome).

Rachel Sampley - Video & Lighting Designer

Rachel Sampley is a London-based video and lighting designer.

Her previous work includes: Barriers (National Theatre), Perfect Show for Rachel (The Barbican), The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (The Watermill Theatre), Cassie and the Lights and We Live By the Sea (59E59, Off Broadway, NY), Silk (Trafalgar Studios), VooDoo (Sadler's Wells), Chemistry (Finborough), Follow the Signs (Soho Theatre), Opal Fruits (Bristol Old Vic, Pleasance Edinburgh), The Last Five Years (The Other Palace), and The Great Gatsby (Immersive LDN: Seoul, Korea: Theatre Clwyd).

Upcoming and current work includes Dead Dog Dad/Sunny Boy (Traverse Theatre, Finborough) and Invisible Animal (Omnibus Theatre).

She has an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Nick Gilbert - Composer & Sound Designer

Nick is a sound designer and composer for theatre. He has worked with companies and venues such as The Southbank Centre, Camden Roundhouse, National Youth Theatre, Edinburgh & Brighton Fringe Festivals and The Barbican Centre, as well as many fringe and pub theatres around London and the UK. He has also toured internationally to the Salihara Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Through a mentorship with The Association of Sound Designers, Nick recently shadowed on the Almeida to West End transfer of A Streetcar Named Desire and is currently working to further his skills with the sound department at the Royal Court.

Nick is a co-founder of Zoo Co and most recently worked as sound designer on their five star Perfect Show For Rachel at The Barbican Centre.

Nick is passionate about access, creating real experiences for the audience and utilising theatre as a means for empowerment and connection.

Simeon Campbell - Movement Director

Simeon Campbell, born in Greenwich, grew up as the only hearing member in his family and his first language at home was BSL.
As a teenager, he studied at the Greenwich Musical Theatre Academy and Negus Post 16, excelling in performing arts and street dance. He gained recognition in the hip-hop dance community with his troupe 'Ruthless,' who became known for their choreographic talent across the UK and Europe.

After graduation, Simeon continued to share his unique style of hip-hop choreography through teaching in the UK and Europe. He received his first commercial dancing opportunity at 21, appearing on ITV's 'X Factor' with Alexandra Burke and later working with stars like Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, and Rita Ora.

Simeon's journey continued with performances at the 2012 London Olympics and collaboration with artists like Kanye West, Dua Lipa, and Little Sims. Known for his calm teaching style and musicality, he strives to empower students in his classes and workshops.

Chloe Stally-Gibson - Production Manager

Chloe is a freelance production manager.

Her recent work includes: ‘As We Face The Sun’ (Bush Theatre), ’Perfect Show For Rachel’ (Barbican), ’Welcome Home’ (Soho Theatre), ’The Secretaries’ (Young Vic), ‘Caligari’ (ChewBoy Productions, winner of the 2022 Untapped Award), and ‘Space to Be’ (Oily Cart).

Fleur Rooth - Creative Access Director