In conversation with David Brady, Director of Flashbang

We spoke to David Brady, Director of Flashbang, ahead of their upcoming show at the Pavilion Arts Centre

What drove the creation process behind Flashbang?

Flashbang was created in the Summer of 2020 (right in the middle of the pandemic!) With all of our projects cancelled and time to create new stories, we wanted to make a new piece of work that felt much closer to home than anything we'd worked on before. The story behind Flashbang - about 5 best mates and the town they grew up in - felt very natural to create. Flashbang is a relative outlier showing a positive portrayal of the experience of growing up somewhere that definitely isn't London that we hope audiences will relate to.

How did growing up in a small city and its culture influence the direction and feel of the show?

I was born and brought up in Coventry, and although I've lived in London for a while I'm back very often. I'm struck by how little people write stories about normal people living in unusual circumstances. Coventry has a real "little city energy", which means that outsiders are often dismissive of where we come from, but if you're from the city you're fiercely protective of it. We wanted to capture something of that energy - the fierce loyalty that people have for their home town and their mates, without ever wanting to be anywhere else.

Flashbang is a bit of a rollercoaster - how do you capture that energy on stage?

Flashbang is the story of five best mates and hurtles from their early memories of primary school to the young men that they are today, through an incident which changes all of their lives forever. It's a story about how young men in their early twenties handle friendship, grief, and finding their own place in the world with humour and reliability. It shows what happens when something goes horribly wrong, and how these young men may not necessarily have all the tools to cope with what happens when the world explodes around you. The show's got a very specific format which never stops moving - and our brilliant actors hit the stage running at the start of the show and don't stop till it finishes - so its got a really lovely pace and energy to it.

How did you collaborate with the other creatives to bring the characters and their friendship to life?

I'm blessed to be able to work with a brilliant creative team - the actors bring such humour and emotion to their characters and I know you'll fall in love with them like I did. I'm also very lucky to work with the brilliant Lucy Glassbrook who is our movement director (also from the Midlands!) and Gregory Jordan who is our incredible technical director. We've worked hard to bring the world of the show together, and each of them brings their own unique talents. We're also very lucky to have been supportede by Ross Kernahan, who is our brilliant production photographer, and the team at Chewboy Productions who have helped bring the visuals of the world to life in all of our pre-show promo. We've all worked together for a long time now - so the show has evolved with us over the last few years.

How does the music you've chosen to inspire the show influence the performance

Flashbang very definitely leans into a specific early noughties vibe without it feeling too "lads night out" - there's definitely some brilliany songs by Rudimental, Hard-Fi, the Kaiser Chiefs, Swedish House Mafia, The Streets, and The Fratellis on that playlist - so if you imaging that sort of energy, you're very definitely on the right track (no pun intended!)

Why should audiences choose Flashbang?

We've tried to create a universal story that we know people will relate to, whether they've lived the life of these characters or have family members who have. The show has got a real heart and soul to it which we know audiences and reviewers have really warmed to. We're also on a bit of a mission this year to bring our work to new audiences, so we're hoping that Flashbang's down-to-earth message of real people in extraordinary circumstances will resonate with audiences, and get them to try out a brand-new piece of theatre that they might not have otherwise experienced.

What do you hope audiences take away after watching Flashbang?

That your best mates will always be there to catch you if you fail (or if you fall), that going to the theatre can introduce you to some of the best stories about where you come from, and that growing up in a small city twenty miles down the road isn't so bad after all!

If you could sum up Flashbang in three words, what would they be?

Honest, Generous, Ours.