A China Plate and Belgrade Theatre Co-Production in association with Birmingham Hippodrome: Please Do Not Touch

Written by Casey Bailey

Directed by Gail Babb

“They will tell you that legal and illegal are the same as right and wrong. And I’ve told you that you only have to sit still for a moment and watch the pieces move to see what a lie that is.”

Written by former Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey (GrimeBoy, Birmingham Rep) and directed by award-winning theatre maker, Gail Babb (Stars, Tamasha – OFFIE’S Best New Play 2024), Please Do Not Touch is a co-production between China Plate and Belgrade Theatre in association with Birmingham Hippodrome. Following a successful premiere and run in Coventry in 2024, Selorm Adonu will be stepping into the role of Mason for the remount and first national tour in Spring 2026.

An extension of Casey’s poetry collection of the same name, Please Do Not Touch follows the story of Mason, an activist who explores historic houses on TikTok to uncover the true stories behind the objects that lie within. After an incident with a Somali Afro comb, he is wrongly imprisoned in a Young Offender Institution. Can he find a way to survive this ordeal and navigate how to keep speaking up when everything is designed to silence him?

This show asks important questions about colonial legacy, contested heritage and how stories are told, whilst shining a light on the criminal justice system.

“Please Do Not Touch has a heart and a brain, it is thoughtfully written, sensitively performed and beautifully staged.” – British Theatre Guide

“One of Birmingham’s best and brightest voices.” – Vanessa Kisuule

★★★★★ “Bailey’s gift for the written – and spoken – word is evident throughout the play, and the moments when poetry comes to the foreground align with moments of freedom, joy and power in Mason’s story.” – Warwickshire What’s On

Cast & Creative Team

Actor: Selorm Adonu
Writer: Casey Bailey
Director: Gail Babb
Scenographer: Miriam Nabarro
Sound Designer: Kayodeine
Lighting Designer: Gillian Tan
Movement Director: Keiren Hamilton-Amos
Dramaturg: Yaël Shavit
Production Manager: Phil Clarke
Company Stage Manager: Emily Davies
Engagement Facilitator: Ayan Aden
Marketing Consultant: Spark Arts Marketing
Associate Producer (China Plate): Jade Samuels
Executive Producer (China Plate): Paul Warwick

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Age Recommendation: 14+

Show Notice: Contains strong language and a reference to suicide. There are references to racism throughout.

Recommended Price: £10

What are ‘Pay What You Can’ tickets?

We believe that that arts should be accessible for all. For this reason some of our shows and events this year will be ‘Pay What You Can’, meaning that you decide how much you can or want to pay. This expands access to the arts for those who may not have been able to participate otherwise, or gives others the chance to support those who cannot by paying a bit extra.

You will see multiple prices available for each show or event. You can select whichever price you can afford or would like to pay – thank you.