No Milk for the Foxes

Two security guards. One night shift. Zero hours contracts.

Is it important to aspire to a higher station or better just to accept your lot? As the television monitors buzz in front of them, two friends pass the night shift debating status, class and milk.
Mark is keeping his head down, working hard and praying his contract will be extended. He’s saving up to take his girlfriend Gemma on her dream holiday to Tenerife. Sparx just can't wait to clock off and roll a spliff. Minimum wage with no pension? He's had enough. Today he is leaving. Quitting. Definitely. Although, he said that yesterday…

Through spoken word, humour, live looping and beatbox, No Milk For The Foxes explores Cameron’s England from the perspective of the working class. As working class artists themselves, the creators want to challenge representations of class on the modern stage and bring humour and humility to their audiences.

Beats&Elements present this exciting new piece as a co-production with Camden People’s Theatre. The company is comprised of spoken word artist/musician Paul Cree and theatre-maker/musician Conrad Murray who come together to create hip-hop inspired theatre.

Conrad Murray comments, Paul and I would often talk and complain about the fact there wasn't any theatre speaking from a working class perspective or to a working class audience. We both grew up on council estates in London and, coming from these backgrounds, we felt like there wasn't much, if any, art being made that related to us. Having known each other for years we had always wanted to collaborate; we use beatbox, spoken work, music and rap in our solo work and this show seemed to be the perfect vessel to mix all the things we were passionate about into one piece.

No Milk For The Foxes is part of The State We’re In – three weeks of political work at Camden People’s Theatre leading up to the General Election.

There will be a post-show discussion on Friday 24th April with Dr David O'Brien (Senior Lecturer in Cultural Policy, ICCE, Goldsmiths’ College) and Dr Sam Friedman (Assistant Professor in Sociology, LSE). Drawing on recent high-profile debates about working-class representation and participation in culture, Dr O'Brien and Dr Friedman's research ‘uncovers worrying patterns of disadvantage within the acting profession, a cultural form that is vital to the UK, reflecting the exploitation and inequality at the heart of contemporary Britain.’

No Milk For The Foxes has been funded by Arts Council England.