Director brings lived experience to food poverty play

Georgia Grace Gavin, Director of Biscuits for Breakfast

Theatre director Georgia Grace Gavin understands first-hand the challenges that can come with a working class background.

Now the 28-year-old is bringing her own experience and that of her ex-partner to the fore when she directs Gareth Farr’s play Biscuits for Breakfast at Hoxton’s Courtyard Theatre.

Audience members will be encouraged to bring donations for Hackney Foodbank, while the company will also donate one tin of food for every ticket sold. The play (an amateur production by arrangement with Nick Hern Books) is part of this year’s Camden Fringe Festival and takes place from August 9th to 11th.

Georgia said: “I’m passionate about working class stories. This play spoke to me. It touches on something so many people misunderstand, who you think uses a food bank. There is often a stereotype about the people who need that support, but the reality is that unexpected circumstances could happen to anyone. Whether it’s losing a job, facing unexpected expenses or simply struggling to make ends meet, people can find themselves needing help.

“Coming from a working class background has shaped the stories I want to tell. Breaking into this industry isn’t always easy when you don’t have money or connections, so alongside directing I juggle weekend shifts in a pub and other freelance work to support myself. Producing this show has taken months of saving and careful planning, but it’s a story I believe is important to bring to audiences.

“Much like the play’s main character, Paul, my ex experienced food poverty. He never felt that food banks were for someone like him, and instead of asking for help, he would often go hungry so he could cover other essential living expenses. Seeing that first hand made the story feel incredibly real to me. Even for me, before reading the play, I didn’t fully understand that food banks are there for people at many different stages of life. With the ongoing cost of living crisis, more and more people are finding themselves in situations where they need support. I think it’s so important that people know there is help out there and that asking for support should never be something to feel ashamed of.”

Biscuits for Breakfast has a cast of two. It closely reflects themes Georgia experienced in her own life, telling the story of two people navigating love, pride and the reality of going without. It explores what happens behind closed doors when money is tight and choices are limited.

Georgia, whose theatre company is called Kaleidoscope Collective Arts, said partnering with Hackney Foodbank felt fitting for a play that centres around food poverty and financial hardship.

Click here to buy a ticket.