Talking People
Like most photographers, I occasionally get asked to do favours for friends and family, and over the past couple of years I’ve had the pleasure of taking photographs for my niece Elina Saleh-Franck, who has produced a series of improvisation Theatre shows called Talking People, in collaboration with director Richard Vincent at Theatres across London
Working with a wide range of talented actors, each performance consists of anything from two to around seven or eight cast members. The format is entirely improvised around a predetermined theme set by Vincent, one which invariably tackles personal or wider societal issues like infidelity, family dynamics, or sexuality. He then loosely steers the performance throughout the show using a deck of playing cards to randomly determine specific character traits or behaviours for the performers, which in turn dictate the direction scenes will take.
Performances include a degree audience participation in a question and answer format where the actors, who are always in character, are asked by the audience about their thoughts, feelings, and behavioural decisions within the performance. The result is entirely unpredictable and can at times be funny, dramatic, even shocking, leaving the audience deeply invested in the characters’ emotional situations.
All the shows have been incredibly well received with 5 star reviews and been described as “Triumphant”, “Unmissable” and “A show like no other”. I’m not currently aware of any scheduled dates for upcoming performances but you can follow the Talking People Instagram page to keep an eye out for announcements.
