HOME, Journeys Festival International & Phosphoros Theatre presents

Pizza Shop Heroes

Written by Dawn Harrison with the company

We’re going to tell you our stories how WE want to.
You’re not here to judge if we’re credible or not.
I am not here to make your conscience feel better.
I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.

This dynamic emerging company stars four refugee young men who made the arduous journey to the UK on their own as children from Afghanistan, Eritrea and Albania.

They have told their ‘stories’ repeatedly to the Home Office as part of seeking asylum and it is the desire to reclaim these stories that grounds Phosphoros Theatre’s innovative work.

From the precinct of a pizza shop we embark on a journey across time and continents to explore how they got here, where they’re going and what they’ve learnt along the way. It’s a story of male and cultural identity, of family and fatherhood, a lyrical collage of memories, hopes, dreams and imagined realities. From prisons in Libya and Greece to conversations with absent mothers to raising the next generation of sons.

Powerful, celebratory, affirming, authentic; this is theatre that puts refugees centre stage.

“I felt enlightened to see a theatre piece – with intentions of spreading awareness about issues we need to know more about – resonate so strongly with audience members… This is a piece of theatre which should be seen by all. We laugh, cry but, most importantly, we stand with them. I won’t order a pizza again without asking the Pizza-boy’s name..” – Mancunion

“An innovative piece of applied theatre… A powerful, dynamic and highly engaging piece of theatre… I genuinely found myself disappointed when it came to an end.” – She-Wolf Manchester

★★★★ “Pizza Shop Heroes is the real deal – it’s not an artistic response to the theme of migration, but powerful, thought-provoking theatre with a purpose.” – Quays Life

★★★★★ “Fierce, bold, luminous… A resilient, defiant and utterly real reclamation of voices by a group so often ignored, misunderstood or spoken for.” – The Skinny

“This is a show in which every performer is using their lived experiences to tell the story of what it is to be a male child travelling to England as a refugee… A beautiful piece of work.” – The Tung

“All four [performers] are engaged, increasingly intelligent performers, knitted together by writer-director Dawn Harrison into an energetic, knockabout ensemble… It’s a genuine joy to see this company develop.” – The Stage

“An illuminating and innovative presentation of the asylum seeker’s journey… It will change your perception… It is a play that should be seen by all.” – North West End

“An engaging event that sparked numerous discussions afterwards with the audience that informally joined them on stage.” – British Theatre Guide

“Powerful, celebratory, affirming, authentic.” – What’s On Stage

★★★★ “Pizza Shop Heroes is a very skilled piece of theatre-making by one of the country’s leading applied theatre companies… It’s greatly important that many people see it… It is theatre for our future.” – Broadway Baby

★★★★ “What makes this show fly are the touches added to make it a fundamentally human story, most notably when the script opens up ideas of a future that just might make it all worthwhile, somehow or other.” – Three Weeks

“This is a show in which the lived experience of the performers shines through, reminding us that if they are heroes it is because they have to be. They don’t have any choice.” – Stagedoor

Want to know more about Phosphoros Theatre?

  • Recommended age 12+
  • Running time 60 mins + 15 min post-show discussion
  • This show contains swearing
  • £12.50 full / £10.50 conc
  • Want to see two shows in one night? For £20 full / £18 conc see Pizza Shop Heroes + Queens of Sheba on Fri 4 or Sat 5 Oct. Discount will be added automatically to your basket.