Birds of Paradise Theatre Company

Scotland's touring theatre company promoting disabled artists and supporting the arts sector

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Robert, a white middle aged man, lies back in bed facing the camera. He has the white bed covers pulled up over his nipples and his hands back behind his head. He looks smoulderingly at the camera.

Come To Bed With Me

A conversation, a nightly routine, a shared experience – bedroom to bedroom

Robert is a disabled performer – he is used to being looked at and to being asked all sorts of questions. This is an invitation to share in moments that are new and real – to exchange with people who might not look or move as you do. 

Bedrooms are our private spaces that only certain people are allowed to see and fewer still are permitted to occupy. Come to Bed With Me is an invitation to share in moments that are new and real – to exchange with people who might not look or move as you do.

Created by Robert Softley Gale, Rachel Drazek and Mairi Taylor. With original music by Scott Twynholm

Produced by Birds of Paradise and Battersea Arts Centre

“Come get ready for bed with me. From your bedroom to mine – sharing our intimate spaces and personal moments. We might talk about what’s there and what’s not there – what’s missing. Listen, watch, talk, move with me… it’s up to you.”

Created by Robert Softley Gale, Rachel Drazek and Mairi Taylor, with original music from Scott Twynholm, Come to Bed With Me takes BOP into digital and durational territory that is new for the company. This performance is intimate and private, exploring territory that resonates with us all just now as we navigate the world from our homes.

“When you go to bed without someone else there it’s just you, which is what Come To Bed With Us is about: you and your body and your thoughts. This is a considered, careful study of all three, and it wouldn’t work without you as part of it, even doing nothing, just being where and what you are.” Frey Kwa Hawking – Exeunt Magazine

The Team

Robert Softley Gale – Writer & Performer
Rachel Drazek – Movement Direction
Mairi Taylor – Art direction and additional text
Scott Twynholm – Original music written, performed and recorded
Natalie MacDonald – Sign language interpretation
Emma-Jane McHenry – Audio description
Niall Walker – Marketing design

Captioning | Louisa McDaid
Production Manager – John Wilkie
Additional video editing by Seth Hardwick
Stage Management Support from Jasmine Ruby Kennedy
With special thanks to Amir Sherhan and Robert’s household

Thanks also to the team at Battersea Arts Centre for all their support

The accessible performances for this production were as below:

  • Wed 28 Oct – Captioned
  • Thu 29 Oct – BSL interpreted
  • Fri 30 Oct – Audio Described

We had six tickets available for each accessible performance, reserved specifically for people who required that access provision. These tickets were free of charge.

Dates

26 October – 1 November 2020, 9-10pm
Zoom

Reviews

“It’s extremely localised – to just one person’s routine, worries, and movement – but fiercely expansive”