Iconic landmark launches street art exhibition alongside new play exploring online culture and toxic masculinity

As part of the educational activities accompanying the Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton production Top Gs Like Me, around 300 young people took part in street art workshops led by SUEDE and Dpendz.

The artwork created by the eight schools and five community groups is being displayed in an exhibition in the theatre’s foyer during the run of the play Top Gs Like Me.

Titled ‘Art as Activism and Painting Politics’, the exhibition was launched on Tuesday, February 24 – when guests from the community, including students who took part in the workshops and their families, gathered to hear more about the project and play.

They also enjoyed a demonstration of street art in the making, before viewing the artwork now on display at the Royal & Derngate.

The theatre also took the opportunity to thank Northampton Town Council and the office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for their support in offering community engagement work surrounding the production.

Top Gs Like Me is a brand new play by Samson Hawkins, a playwright originally from Northampton, and directed by Royal & Derngate’s artistic director Jesse Jones. It runs until March 7 as part of the theatre’s Made in Northampton season.

The play threads satirical humour through the story of a group of young adults, diving headfirst into the influence of online culture, the pull of toxic masculinity, and the search for identity in the digital age. The Derngate auditorium has been transformed into a skatepark, with audiences seated in the round.

Guests at the art exhibition launch stayed to watch a preview performance of the production, which will run until next Saturday. For selected performances, the theatre is offering a pay what you can option with the aim of making it as accessible as possible.

For more information on Top Gs Like Me, visit the Royal & Derngate’s website here or call the box office on 01604 624811.