The shows were experimental and well received and we are considering running them again in the future.
If you would like to commission us to do this for your organisation or event please get in touch
This unique theatrical experience sees improvising actors play people locked in a high-stakes real world dispute. On stage between the two sides are a pair of professional mediators who run the show exactly like a real-life mediation.
Neighbours at war, family break-ups, business deals gone wrong, interpersonal conflict at work, gang conflicts… Fascinating true stories are unfolded through the mediation process and human beings are shown at their worst… and best.
The beauty of the process is that the outcome is utterly unpredictable and can reach creative and surprising solutions that no court on earth could arrive at. The whole thing can also break down… EACH SHOW IS DIFFERENT.
While most people believe that debating the subject matter of any dispute is the key to finding resolution, what we have found is that by helping people recognise, acknowledge and understand the trauma that underlies their dispute, they can find ways to alleviate the tensions of their position and release themselves in a way which allows them to regain emotional intelligence and therefore to negotiate more objectively.
Mediators and married couple Maria Arpa & David Ellis run the Centre for Peaceful Solutions which promotes nonviolent communication and conflict resolution. Maria founded the Centre for Peaceful Solutions in 2005 in response to an increase in drive-by shootings on her road in Kensal Rise. They have co-mediated over 250 cases and trained around 2000 people. Their experience ranges from Multi-National Corporate business deals to Street Gang threats to life and everything in between.
The Centre for Peaceful Solutions innovates in the field of conflict resolution. The charity provides mediation, alternative dispute resolution, nonviolent communication and restorative practices in families, businesses, workplaces and communities. We specialise in sharing conflict resolution skills with people who are excluded, marginalised and hard-to-reach.
Different actors every night.
Producer & Director Chris Head
Hen and Chickens Theatre, 109 St Paul’s Road, London, N1 2NA