THE TRAP

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After three years away, Naked Frank Theatre's Christmas programme Merry Fest was back to provide live performances and arts engagement opportunities to vulnerable adults on long term recovery programmes within Oxleas mental health facilities. The programme included engagement workshops in singing, creative writing, acting games, and recitals, with the highlight event being the live performance of The Trap. 

"When the lockdown hit in 2020, it put a complete stop to providing onsite engagement on such a grand scale. And the momentum remained slow ever since. Finally, December 2023 provided us with an opportunity to get back onsite with live shows, and we were determined to make sure the event was bigger, and better, than ever."

Touring across Kent throughout December 2023, Naked Frank Theatre set out to create a Christmas performance that would challenge the traditional clichés of festive storytelling, and reflect the modern day audience. ​

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REVIEWS & TESTIMONIALS

"For a moment I forgot I was here and forgot how much I miss my son."

​"The music was fantastic. I loved the story and I really feel ready for Christmas now."
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"It's given me hope that I can go on to do normal things, get out of here, get a job, and have a normal life."

CREATIVE TEAM

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Carleigh-Ann Portelli

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Claire Portelli

​CAST
Daniel Chrisostomou
Kathryn Perkins
Rhea Locker-Marsh
John Posnett

WRITER
Carleigh-Ann Portelli

PRODUCTION MANAGER
Claire Portelli

FILMED BY
​Digital Pie Ltd

PRODUCER
Naked Frank Theatre

The Trap was a traditional storytelling piece incorporating complex dialogue, rhythm, verse, and spoken word, fused with trap beats. The production was a hybrid of musical theatre and trap music - a sub-genre of hip-hop that originated in trap-houses in the early 1990's. The one act play followed the story of WOMAN as she navigated her way through loss, grief, guilt, and drug addiction. A tale of actions and their consequences, posing the question of how modern-day drug dealing and consumption are so easily accessible.

​"We recognise the enormous challenge that we face in creating work that fully and truly reflects and belongs to the patients that we are producing it for. Their stories, experiences, and ideas remain at the very core of the material that has been produced."

It’s a weird, wild, whirlwind of truth, hidden beneath some very whimsical and wistful traditional storytelling. We begin on Christmas Eve in our urban city - the concrete rat race of Victorian London. Enter WOMAN and her BESTFRIEND, two fools looking for nothing more than fun and frolics. Times are hard on these streets when you're no one. In this age of struggle and strife even the most decent folk seek relief with the Elixir Of Life! Word on the street is the CHEMIST can mix a potion so wicked that any man or beast brave enough to taste it will see hallucinations most magical and enchanting. Now enter LITTLE BROTHER, too inquisitive for his own good. His prying eyes and thieving hands are tempted to steal a drop. And here is where the trouble begins...

FUNDED BY
Arts Council England
​Postcode Society Trust
MusicForAll

SUPPORTED BY
Oxleas NHS Trust

SPECIAL THANKS TO
​Felicia Ajayi
Fiona McDonald
​Sherrie Hardaker
Miskin Theatre

VENUES
​Bracton Centre
Oxleas House
Barefoot Lodge
Green Parks House
Memorial Hospital