#Haters tour - Odd Eyes Theatre

In 2015 the stage production #Haters was created through interviews and workshops with Hackney residents in response to a real incident: a social housing tenant from a housing estate in Hackney was stabbed in his shoulder and retreated into a newly opened bar in the area to run away from his assailants. After calling emergency services, the management tweeted a picture of the young man’s blood on the floor with the hashtag: #welcometohackney. The incident became case in point for the repercussions of regeneration in one of the poorest areas in the UK. Social media and tabloids fuelled the hate. #Haters was written to offer a fair representation of both side of the story, hoping to foster communication in this broken community.

In 2019 #Haters was adapted into a movie currently touring film festivals, schools and community centres to generate conversations and prompt creative responses from young people and residents in urban settings affected by the issues of the film.

Watch the trailer:

Read about #Haters community and schools programme

#Haters: the journey

June 2014. A stab, a tweet and a social-media storm rip the sultriness of the hottest summer on record since 1976.

Two young heroes worlds apart gravitate towards each other against the will of alluring internet chimeras. Two epic journeys set out in the storm of urban regeneration. Will their hands touch?

Inspired by real events #Haters tells about ‘hipsters’, ‘roadmen’ and social-media chimeras digging out the real people beyond the stereotypes. It’s about opportunities, fate and values told with a good dose of self-irony and with extreme compassion for the characters involved. It’s about the rising of violent crime, regeneration, “gentrification” and a world that changed suddenly right before your eyes and you could only witness.

What the audience said

Reactions

“The chemistry between the performers is outstanding” (Audience member, On The Line, Camden People’s Theatre)

“Energetic, vibrant and touching” (Audience member, On The Line, Camden People’s Theatre)

“I had a spare hour and picked a random show @thevaultslondon . I thought @OddEyesTheatre #ontheline was excellent. Very good storytelling and captivating actors. Always worth taking a punt on something new!” (James Callas Ball on Twitter)

“Superb performance of On The Line put together by Odd Eyes Theatre tonight at Stanley Art showing exactly the difference between rich and poor in our society – just the kind of show that needs to be shown in our community and everywhere to be honest!” (South Norwood Kitchen)

“Lovey evening taking Camden Youth Theatre to watch ‘On the Line’ at Camden People’s Theatre . Truly amazing production! If you know any young people (or adults!) urge them to see it.” (Phoebe from Camden Youth Theatre on Twitter)

“Funny, tense and almost painfully pertinent.” (On The Line, The Reviews Hub )

“Thank you for bringing such important work through our doors! We love everything Odd Eyes stands for and can’t wait to see On The Line go to even more audiences.” (Camden People’s Theatre on On The Line)

“A play of the 21st century in “Endz!”” (Young audience member at On The Line sharing)

“A smart well written and directed piece of spoken word narrative theatre” (Adrian Jackson, about #Haters)

“Stunning, was just stunning. What Emilia’s done to this production is sort of ground level, in the sense that she’s taken us completely to Shaw and his critique about being ‘other’.” (Bonnie Greer about Pygmalion)

“A strong production that is definitely worth seeing.” (Remote Goat about Pygmalion)

Theatre production

Written and directed by Emilia Teglia
Music composed and directed by Barbara Diana

Cast: Greg Snowden and Josh Okusanya

Vocalists: Barbara Diana, Lola May, Jennie Jacobs

Photograph by Zbigniew Kotkiewicz

For information about the next stage of development and tour dates contact [email protected]

Film

Written by Emilia Teglia

Co-directed by Tristan Shepherd and Emilia Teglia

Edited by Tristan Shepherd

Guardian Series on #Haters

By Odd Eyes Theatre | 10 Feb 2017

Stabbing attack in Hackney inspires new play about gun and knife crime in east London Originally published on The Guardian Series, 8 February 2017 by Rachel Russell In a bid to crack down on gun crime, the Metropolitan Police have launched a campaign this week to encourage people to hand in their firearms to any police station […]

#Haters stage: trailer and development

By Odd Eyes Theatre | 30 Mar 2016

The journey of #Haters begun in June 2014 when a knife incident in East London attracted social media attention on the repercussions of gentrification on local communities. The play was the result of a series of interviews with old and new residents, social-media research and devising workshops with the Members of Odd Eyes Theatre participation […]

Sophie Hemery writes about #Haters for the Hackney Citizens

By Odd Eyes Theatre | 09 Dec 2015

#WelcomeToHackney: bar’s reaction to a stabbing inspires play about gentrification #welcometohackney – known as #haters at the time of this interview – is a story about community conflict based on a controversial incident at a Hackney pub last year Interview by Sophie Hemery, first published on the Hackney Citizens press, December 2015 Emilia Teglia, founder […]