Alessandro Visentin, who studied Perfoming Arts at City of Westminster College, is bringing his theatre company’s new play to the College’s Cockpit Theatre for two preview performances on Sunday 31 July before it begins a three-week run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Raw Perceptions has been formed by Alessandro and two fellow graduates of the acclaimed East 15 Acting School, Ray Ashbourne and Wahab Sheikh. Their play, Thugz N Tearz, is a gritty drama centring on an East London drug empire.
Described as a modern day Jacobean tragedy, by the Royal Court Theatre’s April De Angelis, Thugz N Tearz was written by Wahab during the second year of the three-year course at East 15 and follows lead character Kaiza’s struggle to escape to a less materialistic life.
Following previews at the Cockpit, the play will be shown by ZOO Venues at Edinburgh Fringe – a real breakthrough for a debut drama. Alessandro says: “The play grew out of our course, because writing a play was part of the second year syllabus, and in our final year we produced, directed and acted it.
“We are really excited to be having our preview at the Cockpit where it all started for me. It is a fantastic venue and hope we will get the chance to return in the future. And we secured our Edinburgh venue right at the last – with the best time slot of the night!”
Although he only graduated from acting school in 2011, Alessandro is doing anything but ‘resting’. Alongside his work with Raw Perceptions, he’s just landed role with White Horse Theatre, a British company that tours continental Europe taking drama to schools and youth organisations.
- City of Westminster College offers highly-regarded Performing Arts courses (BTEC Level 1 up to Level 3 Extended Diploma), as well as Drama & Theatre Studies A-level. Students benefit from access to two superb theatres – the new Sarah Siddons Theatre at Paddington Green Campus and the Cockpit Theatre on nearby Gateforth Street, which is a College-owned studio performance space.
Photo: Thugz N Tearz previews at Cockpit Theatre before heading to Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Further information:
City of Westminster College
City of Westminster College is a leading London further education college with three centres in central London – Paddington Green Campus, Queens Park Campus and the Cockpit Theatre – and a range of outreach centres. The College offers over 250 vocational and academic courses to over 7,000 students each year. Specialisms include Sport, Digital Media, Engineering, Music Technology and Science.
City of Westminster College is an associate of Middlesex University and University of Westminster. It is also a Founder College of the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills and a member of Westminster Skillset Media Academy with the University of Westminster.
The College’s Paddington Green Campus opened in January 2011 and has won both a RIBA Award 2011 and a NLA New London Award for its architecture.
The new Campus features outstanding facilities, including a range of specialist workshops and labs, a Sports Hall built to Sport England specifications and a fitness suite and dance studio
Performing Arts students have access to both the Sarah Siddons Theatre, a new professional-quality Campus theatre named to commemorate the 18th-Century actor, and the Cockpit Theatre, a studio theatre in nearby Gateforth Street.