In an interview with Casey Bailey, we find out more about the former Birmingham Poet Laureate, and his brand-new play Please Do Not Touch, ahead of its world premiere at the Belgrade.
Can you introduce yourself?
What’s good! My name’s Casey Bailey, I’m a writer, a teacher and a performer from Nechells, but most importantly I’m a person who believes in people and fairness, so everything I do gravitates around that!!
Can you tell us a bit about the Please Do Not Touch poetry collection which has been the inspiration / springboard for the play to evolve from?
I started writing the collection when I was visiting heritage houses after my son was born because we wanted him to see things we hadn’t, but I became very conscious that I would see ‘please do not touch’ signs sitting on artefacts that never should have been touched in the first place and it sparked something in me. In the process of writing the collection, Roger Robinson gave me feedback on grounding the work in everyday experience; writing the play feels like an extension of that.
What research do you do as a writer, particularly when adapting your poetry into a theatre script? Who do you work with?
The actual theatre making – I have worked with Yaël, Gail, Corey, Keiren, on how you shape a piece of theatre. I’m still adjusting to the way a story is told through many ways other than writing, the influence of the director/movement director and the questions opened up by the dramaturg are pivotal to the piece’s creation.
Colonial research – in heritage houses and further investigation into the specifics around and the impacts of colonialism.
Prison research – this story centres on a boy who finds himself in prison, going into prisons was an essential part of the creation of the story and the part that I took the most from.
What would be your top tip for getting into writing? Whether that’s poetry or theatre…
I only have two top tips for getting into writing, they are simple, but they come down to this. Whether that’s poetry or theatre…
- Read. Read everything
- Write! The reality is we get better at anything by doing it
So read and learn and write and practice.
What can audiences expect from Please Do Not Touch?
They can expect a human story of someone who is living under the pressure of a system that is not built to serve them.
What are you hoping audience’s takeaway from seeing Please Do Not Touch?
What I want people to take away from Please Do Not Touch is that we should question everything that we see, lots of things are given to us in a narrative that works for the people who are giving it to us but that isn’t always the full story, so what I want people to take away is to always ask questions, even ask questions of the story that I’m telling you and make sure that you get a full and honest picture for yourself.
If you could describe the show in three words, what would they be?
Challenging, thought-provoking, human.
Please Do Not Touch is playing in B2 from Wed 11 – Sat 21 Sept 2024, followed by exclusive performances at two National Trust properties – Attingham Park in Shropshire on Tue 24 Sep and Upton House & Gardens in Warwickshire on Fri 27 and Sat 28 Sep.
Please Do Not Touch asks important questions about colonial legacy, contested heritage, and how stories are told, offering a rich stimulus for exploration and conversation in school. Recommended for Year 10+ Drama, History, English, and PSHE, matinee performances aimed at schools will take place on 12 Sep and 19 Sep at 1:30pm. Tickets are £8, plus one teacher free with every 10 pupils. Email groups@belgrade.co.uk to make a booking.
Schools attending the show will receive a free digital resource featuring Casey, inviting young people to create their own poetry responses, exploring the things they feel passionately about. The resource will guide your class through the writing process.
To purchase a copy of the Please Do Not Touch poetry collection, please visit Casey’s website – published by Burning Eye in 2021.