Outside Edge Theatre has a clear focus: founded in 1998 by actor Phil Fox, the company makes performances about substance-misuse and leads a programme of drama and theatre groups for people in recovery. The praise for Outside Edge comes from workshop participants and super-star patrons (including Jimmy Page and Gary Oldman) alike. Their new show, Rockston Stories: An Addictive Cabaret is days away from opening at the rejuvenated Hoxton Hall, as part of its relaunch season.

The show is the first under the helm of the new Creative Director, Susie Miller, who was appointed a year after Phil Fox died. It comes under the apt tagline of Wild Humour, Wild Grief, Wild Anger and tackles substance misuse through a cabaret about an active drug addict. The cast is a mix of professional and newbie actors, and their personal experiences of addiction are integrated into the performance. Hoxton itself plays an important role: the venue’s music hall past and present day reputation as the main supply area for crack cocaine are both addressed. Susie Miller has been working in the area for 15 years; we talked to her about about making rehearsals a safe space, Hoxton’s history of drug use and her model of community engagement.

Run Riot: You were recently appointed the Creative Director of Outside Edge. Can you tell us about your relationship with the company – how you encountered their work and what excited you about being part of the team?

Susie Miller: I first encountered Outside Edge’s work many years ago, they were on my radar as colleagues recommended them to me; unfortunately I never met Phil Fox, our Founder. I was interested in becoming part of the team as it seemed a natural progression from my previous work with Clean Break Theatre Company and Hoxton Hall, where I directed productions for many years, and my own initiative Humourisk which I set up to create theatre and stand-up comedy with local communities. I thrive on working with diverse groups, all ages, backgrounds and experience. I think that makes the creative process so much richer and I wanted to make theatre in a safe creative environment outside the established theatre world. The thing about the recovery movement is that is full of talented creative professionals, people with vast arrays of skills, which aren’t being tapped into as they have often found themselves marginalised from the mainstream. The cast of Rockston Stories is made up of members of our professional company of actors. We have highly skilled and experienced actors, musicians and directors and those that have found their way to us through their recovery programmes, who have little experience but ambition and drive to learn and develop their skills. It’s a joy to direct them as we draw on everyone’s skills and experience, which makes us creative equals.  

Run Riot: What was the devising process behind Rockston Stories? How do you go about turning potentially traumatic personal histories into performance? What specific ethical concerns does this entail?  

Susie Miller: The original idea for Rockston was developed by Phil Fox and Mark Rylance, it was Phil’s idea to create a show that used cabaret as the structure and weave personal stories and testimonies into the main narrative of a young woman, cabaret performer in active addiction. We began the devising process developing the main characters and developing the narrative from there. When I began working with the actors company back in March I laid the ground developing ensemble work and trust so we felt safe to share. The group have developed a natural support network for each other and me, so we support each other when we are exploring traumatic and sensitive issues. The cast have experienced it; they understand it, so everything we create comes from a place of knowledge and authority, which means we have a deep understanding and commitment to tell the truth about addiction and recovery. My main ethical concern is for the safety of the cast, so we always have a check in and check out where we can share any issues and find and offer the support we need.

Run Riot: Cabaret is formally a very good match for Hoxton Hall; what else does this genre bring to Rockston Stories?

Susie Miller: What I am most proud of with Rockston is how we have utilised the premise to share our stories, and to highlight the history of Hoxton Hall. The main narrative and personal stories are woven into the ‘acts’ of the cabaret. We move from backstage to the live ‘acts’ throughout the piece as the stories unravel giving a complex and enlightening look at how addiction affects every echelon of society. We have created original music and songs as well as using some classic music hall numbers, the music helps us to tell the story; this really is a cabaret with a difference.

Run Riot: “Today, Hoxton has become known amongst crack cocaine users as Rockston, as it is the main supply area in London for crack cocaine” - I have to admit I didn’t know this even though I live next door. What’s your take on the public perception of chemical addition? Is it given enough space, time and attention? What’s the relationship between the piece and the local community/area?

Susie Miller: I have a long history with Hoxton having worked there and been involved with the local community since 2000. Hoxton was always a place for revelry with the pleasure gardens of the 16th-18th century, to the rise of the Music Hall where alcohol and drug taking was part of the evening out. Hoxton and Shoreditch were slum areas and even with the rise of post war council blocks it has been an area of great poverty as well as rising wealth. I have witnessed first hand how addiction to crack cocaine and other drugs has affected local families and the area as a whole. Local people have an understanding of drug use, they live with it everyday and having interviewed many local people for my research for Rockston it is still prevalent; one local woman said "You can see them going on their drug march" which strikes a powerful image. Crack cocaine users are part of the community and well known. This might not be so obvious to the newer wave of arts professionals that have moved into the area, but the indigenous communities and families who have lived in Hoxton for many years understand drug use, and what I love about the local community in Hoxton is they accept them, they are part of the community. Now Shoreditch is a popular part of London nightlife - and just walking around on a Friday and Saturday night you will witness drug taking, it’s part of young people’s lives now, cocaine and other stimulants are part of a night out.

Run Riot: You developed a new model of artist-led community engagement several years ago. Can you introduce us to the ideas behind it?

Susie Miller: I completed the Cultural Leadership Programme, an Arts Council England initiative in 2009. As part of the programme I researched best practice community engagement visiting arts organisation and theatre companies across the UK and in Chicago. From this research i developed a model of arts-led engagement, which I disseminated across the arts sector in 2009. The model was based on the concept of creating a dialogue of ‘equal exchange’ between the community and artist, understanding that local people are the experts about their own communities and where they live. My engagement model was used as part of a successful ACE Creative People and Places bid for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in 2012 and I have since continued to develop my arts-led engagement practice with communities in Lagos, Nigeria.

Run Riot: What are your long-term plans for Outside Edge? What’s next?

Susie Miller: Outside Edge wants to develop our actors company and create new work touring the UK, to theatres, treatment centres, prisons and new, unusual venues to reach new audiences. We are already beginning to research our next professional production but that’s all top secret!

We are planning to develop new workshop programmes to accompany our beginners and women’s programmes including an intermediate group and new workshops across London.

Rockston Stories

Hoxton Hall

29 September - 17 October