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Following a sell-out run during their recent Blueprint Festival, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch are delighted to announce that Mia Jerome’s Rice & Peas is going on tour, supported by Creative Estuary. The show will be touring to two community venues in South Essex from 11 – 15 October. Rice & Peas current tour across Havering, visiting four community venues as part of Havering Changing, has entirely sold out! These tours build on the success of two previous Creative Estuary co-commissions, Tales from the Thames and Princess Essex. In 2021, Creative Estuary launched an initiative which aimed to showcase 60 miles of the North Kent and South Essex region as one of the UK’s most dynamic and creative areas in the whole of the UK. Vickie Donoghue’s Tales from the Thames toured to 10 community venues in unrepresented and underserved locations in South Essex, reaching over 300 people. Anne Odeke’s Princess Essex successfully toured to community venues in eight areas of South Essex. Rice & Peas is the first major production for Blouse & Skirt! A three-course, three-act immersive dining experience inspired by Artistic Director, Mia’s, family history. Through each delicious West Indian course, audiences will be transported back to discover the heartache and courage it took so many to start a new life in Great Britain. Grenada, 1948. Couple Figgy and Edith enjoy a meal the evening before Figgy boards The Empire Windrush – both blissfully unaware they will not see each other for two years. But, when Edith arrives in London two years later, she carries a secret that threatens to tear apart their dreams of the Motherland… The delicious vegetarian set menu is prepared by Executive Chef, Jon Bentham (former head chef for Gary Rhodes) and Luke Circus as Senior Sous Chef. A vegan menu is also available. The cast includes Nicole Dayes as Edith; JD Hunt as Marcus; Damian Lynch as Figgy; Khrystalle Moriah as Marion; and Daiyaan Simeon as Michael. The creative team are Mia Jerome as writer, director and producer; Anne Odeke as dramaturg; and Wesley Laing as sound designer. The Menu Amuse Bouche: Callalloo Soup Appetiser: Green Fig & Oil-Cornmeal Biscuit, Soused Green Fig Salad, Coconut oil-carrots-onion-cucumber-lime-scotch bonnet-celery-tomatoes Main Course: Oil Down – Rice and Peas, Mac and Cheese Dessert: Grenada Spice Cake – Bitter Chocolate Mousse – Vanilla Seed Ice Cream, Grenada Spice Cake – Chocolate Mango Mousse – Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream ★★★★★ “Mia Jerome’s ‘Rice and Peas’ sets the bar astronomically high for concept of immersive theatre and it will be an experience I will be pondering on for a while to come.” Alwaystimefortheatre.com “A clever, meticulously thought-out experience with a great atmosphere established, I highly recommend!” Theatrefullstop.com Tickets for Rice and Peas are £10. The price includes both the show and a 3-course meal. The show can be experienced at The Backstage Centre, Purfleet on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 October at 1.30pm and 7.30pm. And, West Tilbury Village Hall on Friday 14 October and Saturday 15 October at 1.30pm and 7.30pm. For more details and to book, click here.