SAME SAME DIFFERENT 2019 tour

Hello, my name is Naomi Sumner Chan and I am a Manchester based playwright, theatre maker and Creative Director of new writing company Brush Stroke Order.

In Spring/Summer 2019 my new play SAME SAME DIFFERENT which explores adoption, identity and belonging will be touring the North of England and while I have been fortunate enough to secure Arts Council funding I still need your help to cover the remaining 40% of production costs. Your donations will help my fantastic team of actors, designers and technicians bring the play to life and take it out on the road, not only to theatres but to young people in schools as well as those involved in the care system.


About the play -

SAME SAME DIFFERENT is an original and affecting new verbatim play about adoption, identity and belonging that gives adoptees from all over the world the chance to share their adoption story in their own words. Inspired by my own own experiences as a Trans- racial adoptee, adopted from Hong Kong in the 1980s  into a White British family, the play focuses on what adoptees perceive as the similarities and differences between themselves and their family members.
By exploring what it’s like to grow up in a household and community who might look very different to you, SAME SAME DIFFERENT asks: does nature or nurture most influence a person’s identity?

The play has been commissioned by Eclipse Theatre  via their Slate programme  with support from York Theatre Royal and Pilot Theatre.


Project Aims and How Your Money will be used.

After nearly three years in development SAME SAME DIFFERENT will finally take to the road and embark on a  three week tour of the North of England in April 2019. Due to the the themes and issues presented in the play (adoption, identity and belonging) we were keen that the play had a reach beyond theatre spaces so we will also be performing the play in secondary schools and university settings. Your donations will also help us to offer free or heavily discounted tickets to young people affected by adoption and their families.

As an adoptee myself I wanted to create a piece of work that prioritised the adoptee voice and put that front and centre.  Often the adoption narratives presented in the mainstream media are parent centric and focus on the adoptive parent’s story, the process of adoption or reunion with birth family. 

This play is different as the focus is firmly on the adoptee voice and provides adopted children and adults the opportunity to tell their stories in their own words.  Rather than focusing on the adoption process the play explores what growing up in an adoptive family is like for an adoptee and what happens after the “happy ending” of going home to your “forever family”.

ADOPTION ISN’T THE END OF THE STORY BUT THE START OF A WHOLE NEW LIFE!

The aim is for adoptees to speak honestly about family life and explode some of the myths and misconceptions around adoption.
I hope the play will be helpful for adoptive families struggling with bonding and cohesion to feel less alone by knowing other people have experienced similar situations.

All who donate will be credited in the programme given to audience members at every performance. Those donating £20 or more will be entered into a prize draw to win one of two fabulous prizes. First Prize is a handcrafted mirror from The Camphor Tree and one runner up will receive two free tickets for SAME SAME DIFFERENT on their preferred date.

Thank you for your support !