Imagine sitting in an old East End pie and mash shop. Steam fogs the windows. The smell of liquor and vinegar hangs thick. Then… voices. Around you. Beside you. Stories overlapping like conversations on a night bus. This is Plebbing Up — a spoken-word-led theatrical experiment that personifies London through its poetry, its people, and its disappearing Cockney rhythms.
Set in a recreated, symbolic pie and mash shop, part memory, part myth, audiences are immersed in a living, breathing collage of East London. From Brick Lane beigels to back-alley wisdom in Tower Hamlets, this is the city speaking back.
Created by a former community journalist and poet rooted in real voices, Plebbing Up is a first leap from page to stage: raw, rhythmic, and ready to be tested live. Sit close. Listen deeper. Lock lips with the unlit bits of the city… before they’re gone.
Credits
Louise Hale - Writer
Martha Rumney - ProducerFull creative team to be announcedImages: Stuart FreedmanThis performance has been supported by Arts Council England
About this performance
Age guidance: This performance is recommended for ages 16+
Content warning: This performance contains some swearing and some challenging subjects
Interval: This performance does not have an interval.
Post show discussion: This performance has a 30 minute post show discussion.
Accessibility
See our Accessibility Guide for information about access in our venue.
Find out more about Curly Wordy aka Louise Hale
Curly Wordy (aka Louise Hale) is a working-class spoken word artist, writer, and performer from Tower Hamlets, now based in Margate. With over 20 years of experience, her work blends poetry, performance, and lived experience to explore themes of identity, social mobility, and working-class narratives. A former community journalist, Curly Wordy has performed at FLO Vortex, BYOB London, and LDNRSB, and collaborated with artists including Hak Baker and Gemma Barnett. In 2025, she was selected for Playhouse East’s Writing for Working Class Artists Programme. Her practice now focuses on developing socially engaged, documentary-style spoken word theatre rooted in truth, resilience, heritage and community.
Instagram: @curlywordyofficial
Youtube: @curlywordy
SHIFT+SPACE
This performance is part of the SHIFT+SPACE programme
Theatre Deli’s SHIFT+SPACE programme is a free performance opportunity for artists to present their work that needs an audience to develop, where artists keep 100% of the Box Office!
Find out more about the SHIFT+SPACE programme here.
