Please Do Not Touch

Written by Casey Bailey
Directed by Gail Babb

“They will tell you that legal and illegal are the same as right and wrong. And I’ve told you that you only have to sit still for a moment and watch the pieces move to see what a lie that is.”

Written by former Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey (GrimeBoy, Birmingham Rep) and directed by award-winning theatre maker, Gail Babb (Stars, Tamasha – OFFIE’S Best New Play 2024), Please Do Not Touch is a brand-new co-production between China Plate and Belgrade Theatre.

An extension of Casey’s poetry collection of the same name, Please Do Not Touch follows the story of Mason, a social justice TikToker, as he visits heritage houses to uncover the true stories behind the objects that live within.

After an incident with a Somali Afro comb, Mason finds himself inside a Young Offender Institution. Now in the belly of the systems he is protesting, Mason uses the power of poetry to survive his ordeal and navigate how to keep speaking up when everything is designed to silence him.

Join us for this world premiere, which asks important questions about colonial legacy, contested heritage and how stories are told, whilst shining a light on the criminal justice system.

★★★★★ “Bailey’s gift for the written – and spoken – word is evident throughout the play, and the moments when poetry comes to the foreground align with moments of freedom, joy and power in Mason’s story.” – Warwickshire What’s On

★★★★★ “Please Do Not Touch is a powerful play and is well worth watching. At just over an hour, it is the perfect length, taking audiences on an emotional journey.” – Adventures in Theatreland

★★★★ “At a time when it feels as though theatre has lost its way as a vehicle for raising awareness of social issues, here’s a piece designed to do just that.” – The Reviews Hub

Interested in hearing more about Please Do Not Touch? Writer Casey Bailey and producer Jade Samuels recorded an episode for The Belgrade Pod; unpacking the show and its themes – you can listen via Spotify or Podbean.

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, for making this project possible.

Photo © Nicola Young Photography

Future Life

Get in Touch

Following its world premiere at the Belgrade Theatre, in collaboration with the National Trust, performances of Please Do Not Touch were hosted at Attingham Park in Shropshire and Upton House & Gardens in Warwickshire in September 2024.

Emma Hawthorne, Assistant Director of National Trust Midlands, said: “We were delighted when Jade and the China Plate team asked us to be involved in this new production. We’re always pleased when people want to explore and discover more about our collections and places. We particularly welcome opportunities for young people to learn and develop new skills inspired by our places and shared history. While the play is a work of fiction, this collaborative, inclusive and research-based production allows audiences to explore the idea of the country house and its collection through a new perspective.”

In addition to hosting performances of the play, the National Trust worked with our production team and community groups to give young people from Coventry and Birmingham an opportunity to explore some of the themes raised in the play and generate their own creative responses.

Following the heritage tour, the show was taken into a prison, with the support of Geese Theatre Company – a team of theatre practitioners who specialise in working in the Criminal Justice System. The team at Geese facilitated performances of Please Do Not Touch and workshops with prison inmates.

Andy Watson, CEO and Artistic Director of Geese Theatre: “As the themes of the play explore the experience of incarceration it feels vital to provide people who are currently serving prison sentences an opportunity to see and reflect on the piece.”

If you are interested in finding out more about the future life of the show and what’s next, or if you have any questions, please get in touch with our Co-Artistic Director Paul Warwick on [email protected]