They will tell you that legal and illegal are the same as right and wrong. And Ive 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 OFFIES Best New Play 2024).

An extension of Caseys 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 Birminghams best and brightest voices.Vanessa Kisuule

Baileys 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 Masons story. - Warwickshire Whats On
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, for making this project possible.