Chains

Chains has its world premiere at The Door in the Birmingham Rep, running from Thursday 4 February to Saturday 20 February 2027. It's a new play written by Rem Conway and directed by Madeleine Kludje, and it's a co-production with the Birmingham Legacy Centre of Excellence, which is described as Europe's largest Black Arts, Business and Heritage Centre.

The story follows Junior, a young man on the brink of fatherhood, who wakes in a vast, empty void bound by rusty, corroded chains. At the other end of the chain is his estranged father, Norman. As they confront the choices that shackled them, the chain takes on a new meaning: no longer just metal and rust, but the echo of an umbilical cord that once gave life and now denies freedom. It's described as a visceral, intimate exploration of fatherhood, generational curses, and the struggle to become your own man.

It's not a traditional play, either. Conway and Kludje have built it from poetry, physical theatre, visual art and sound, so it's as much about what you see and hear as what's said. The piece was originally commissioned by Senti, and it's followed by a post-show discussion, which gives you a chance to stick around and talk through what you've just seen.

Tickets start from £10, with most above £13, and include a £1 restoration levy (schools' tickets excluded). There's also a £3.50 transaction fee on all payment types. Age guidance is 12+, with no under-5s allowed.