Ever feel like you’re being watched? You probably are, bitch. This Britney-inspired show examines surveillance ethics and the cult of celebrity with an original soundtrack that fizzes with nostalgia.
Claire Gaydon is delighted to bring her new writing debut Piece of Me to Camden People’s Theatre. This darkly comic piece about the loss of innocence in a world of surveillance will run from Tuesday 21st May - Saturday 1st June 2024.
Claire always wanted to be a popstar - more specifically she wanted to be the next Britney Spears -but creative differences with her Year 6 playground pop group cut her career short. Now, in 2024, they’ve buried the hatchet, brought in a real music producer, and come together to stage their original songs in a co-devised, cross-arts, multi-disciplinary performance that lifts the lid on UK data privacy invasions.
Claire grew up consuming every bit of Britney content she could - music, videos, tabloid stories and paparazzi shots. She loved Britney - and wanted to be her. Twenty years later, though, she sees the darker side of the Britney content she used to devour and the negative consequences for her musical hero of always being the centre of attention. How have invasions of privacy defined Britney’s life - and how do they define life for the rest of us?
Inspired by Britney, her relationship with public invasions of privacy, and her classic discography of certified bangers, Piece of Me delves into data law, CCTV use, paparazzi, and facial recognition technology. Claire draws on her life-long obsession with Britney’s music and her long term love of performance to highlight the ways in which the exploitation of image, data, and identity can impact everyday citizens in the UK - with a huge helping of humour and self-awareness.
Piece Of Me encourages its audience to reflect on the negative ways that exposure of our data and a lack of awareness of its possible infringement and loss might affect us politically - now and in the future. When did we agree to facial recognition in supermarkets? Who, exactly, is extracting the value from your data and what are they doing with it? Featuring original tracks from Claire’s self-founded primary school pop group (remastered by Jakwob - who has worked with Charli XCX, Robyn, Aurora, and Little Simz), the show reminds us that, even if you haven’t chosen a life of musical fame, you’re always being watched.
CAST
CLAIRE GAYDON (SHE/HER) is a writer, performer and theatre maker creating research-driven shows that explore our relationship with technology and the narcissism of contemporary culture – its allure and its consequences. Her work is political, playful and experiments with meta narratives that blend autobiography with fiction.
She was a recipient of the Barbican’s Open Lab artists development scheme in 2020 as well as Camden People’s Theatre’s Starting Blocks in 2019. She was also a 2018 Associate Artist at The Old Church in Stoke Newington.
Claire’s first Arts Council funded show See-Through (Ingenious and thought-provoking - Lyn Gardner) premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe before booking a UK Tour across seventeen small and large scale venues. During lockdown Claire created a YouTube Livestream version of the show which played at digital theatre festivals (Camden People’s Theatre, Tramshed, Omnibus).
As a performer theatre credits include: Civilisation (ANTLER Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Horizon Showcase & UK Tour), Youthquake (Zest Theatre, UK Tour) and Thrive (Zest Theatre, UK Tour).
YASSER ZADEH (HE/HIM) Yasser Zadeh is a trans male British/Iranian performer and writer who graduated from East 15.
His theatre credits include: The Confessions (National Theatre), RAT (Royal Court Theatre), And The Rest of Me Floats (The Bush Theatre) His TV credits include KAOS (Netflix), the award winning - I May Destroy You (BBC/HBO) and I Hate Suzie Too (HBO/SKY).
ALEX ROBERTS (HE/THEY) Alex is an actor, theatre-maker and poet working in theatre, musical theatre, and film. Theatre credits include: Death Drop: Back in the Habit (West End/UK Tour), Robin Hood: Legend of the Forgotten Forest (Bristol Old Vic).
Their musical theatre credits include Santa’s Wish (Live Under the Stars), Joan of Leeds (Breach/New Diorama) and The Rocky Shock UK Tour (Theatre Royal Plymouth/ The Wardrobe Theatre), and their film credits include: Love at First Sight (Netflix). Alex’s own work is queer, collaborative and multidisciplinary. His debut solo show No Place Like Home won the LET Award 2022 and was supported by Camden People’s Theatre, The Pleasance, North Wall, and Galop UK, with funding from Arts Council England.
About the Music
JAMES JACOB - aka Jakwob - is a music producer, songwriter, composer, DJ and record label owner with credits spanning genres across UK top 40 singles and award winning short films, documentaries and adverts. His notable songwriting, production and remix credits include, Robyn, Charli XCX, Aurora, Little Simz, Shygirl, and Nia Archives. As a composer he recently scored the BAFTA nominated How to Have Sex (Film 4/BFI) now distributed on MUBI.
