Teatro Vivo

A young man called Twistov has gone missing in London. Inspired by Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist and the experience of migrant communities currently living in UK cities, Twistov explores identity and home and who we become if both are taken away from us.

After attending a talk by a distinguished lecturer the audience will be taken in small groups on a man-hunt, a bird-watch, and a game of cat-and-mouse in search of the elusive Twistov. As they journey, the audience will experience stories from the hidden lives of east London’s migrant population.

The performances of Twistov will start at Rich Mix and be staged in Shoreditch, the heart of Dickens’ East End, where faint traces of the past remain visible. Over the performance, Twistov will take the audience on a journey that asks them to see beyond the new buildings and trendy shops, to look down side streets and in doorways and meet another London.

Here we will face our own sense of home and identity: what would we do and where would we run, if these were our stories?

*** Please note - the performances of Twistov will start at Rich Mix, but then audiences will be taken in different directions to witness the hunt for Twistov, before arriving at a secret final location. It all takes place outside so wrap up warm and dress for the weather. In Teatro Vivo’s plays audiences are invited to interact, but never forced to do so – you can stand back and watch, or get involved as little and as much as you like.