As part of the 2019 Camden Fringe, Alpha Who? from Matt Franco explores what it means to be a man today. Part theatre, part dance, and part visual art installation, Alpha Who? is an autobiographically brave and honest solo performance inspired by the writer’s own personal experiences.
Every week 84 men take their own lives in the UK. This statistic reflects how today’s modern society is struggling to define masculinity. After generations of masculine repression, men are now expected to be able to share their feelings and be vulnerable. But how do they know how to share?
Delving into the reasons behind the silent mental health crisis men are experiencing today, creator Matt Franco explores gender identity, vulnerability, emotionality and the binary restrictions of feminine and masculine ideals. As we meet the ‘Truthful Self’, the ‘Control Freak’, the ‘Laid Back Guy’, the ‘Invasive Avoider’ and the ‘Child’, Alpha Who? explores what other beings live inside us as we are taken on a journey to battle the cultural pressures to conform.
Writer and performer Matteo Franco comments, I created Alpha Who? with the hope of helping young men to deal with their unspoken vulnerability, under the pressure of aged stereotypes of our Western society. After too many people around me felt suicidal, I needed to explore why and how this modern disease is affecting us like never before.
The Matt Franco Collective brings together multicultural, multilingual and multidisciplinary international artists to create work high-quality work and multi-layered stories that connect with a global audience. Alpha Who? is a collaboration between a London-trained Italian actor, a Polish composer, a Scottish director, a Berlin-based Italian set designer, sculptor and painter, and an English voice coach.
Alpha Who? will be playing at The Cockpit, London, NW8 8EH, from Wednesday 7th – Friday 9th August 2019.
