In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, have you ever paused to consider the trials and tribulations faced by women navigating the complexities of the modern world? Enter Give Me A Break, the latest offering from 4am Productions, poised to challenge and captivate audiences with its raw portrayal of four women’s journey through the trenches of societal expectations.
This devised comedy delves into the lives of four women navigating the tumultuous waters of the service industry. From enduring thankless jobs to grappling with the pervasive influence of the patriarchy, Constance, Erika, Alice, and Jazz find themselves at the crossroads of self-discovery and societal pressure.
Set against the backdrop of the Sunny Side Cafe, Give Me A Break invites audiences to immerse themselves in the lives of these women as they grapple with personal aspirations and societal expectations.
The Story Behind Give Me A Break
In January 2024, 4am Productions found themselves with a predicament; they had recently chosen to redevelop their current theatre project into a film (watch this space), but this left them with a booking at the Hope Street Theatre for 23-25 May, and no script to perform.
Given the company’s history and ethos of championing voices which have been suppressed in the past, they had already discussed producing a show centring the experiences of women. After much deliberation, it was decided that the most straightforward way to achieve this was simple: use the show as an opportunity to showcase the talents of women performers, who would bring their own perspectives and experiences to the process of crafting the story.
Over the following weeks, they gathered the cast: alumni from previous productions Jasmine Oates and Rafaela, along with Hannah Kidman, who was already rehearsing for 4am’s concurrent production (They Don’t Really Care About Us, Hope Street Theatre) and Nicola Wai Shee Chan in her first production with the company.
Through lengthy discussions, they distilled the core idea for what each character should bring to the story, and how each of their ideas could be devised in different creative forms. The key question became how to convey the shared tropes which modern women experience so universally, but also emphasise the differences in experiences between different women, and how those experiences define them.
Join 4am Productions for an evening to laugh, cry and rage against the system as they explore the experiences of four women managing the expectations of the modern world, as created and performed by themselves.
Give Me A Break
23-25 May
Hope Street Theatre
Tickets
