We had the absolute honour of closing the show at Celebrate Harlow this year—a truly special variety event held at the Harlow Playhouse that highlights the incredible talent and creativity alive in our town. From music to dance and drama, this event captures the heart of Harlow’s artistic community, and we at Hip Hop Pop are proud to have been part of it since the very beginning.
This year, we brought something especially close to our hearts: a powerful excerpt from our latest original hip-hop theatre production, Shadows. The piece, titled Breaking Point, follows the emotional journey of our protagonist as she confronts overwhelming feelings of anxiety, anger, and frustration—emotions that are all too familiar, yet often left unspoken.
In Breaking Point, the protagonist battles her internal struggles, physically manifested as five haunting “shadows”—dancers dressed in black hooded outfits and lit dramatically from behind. Thanks to the striking lighting design by the brilliant Tom Sadler, the shadows became faceless silhouettes—anonymous, eerie, and deeply symbolic of the protagonist’s inner turmoil.
The number builds to a stunning climax where, at the peak of emotional chaos, the protagonist tries desperately to pull herself back together. But the shadows overpower her. In a moment of theatrical illusion, her “soul” appears to leave her body—transported elsewhere in the auditorium—creating an 'out-of-body' experience that never fails to surprise our audiences.
Thirty phenomenal dancers from Hip Hop Pop brought this intense and emotional piece to life on the Playhouse stage (originally performed by 50 dancers in the full production). Aged from 14 to 40+, every performer gave it their all, bringing just as much passion, energy, and professionalism as the original run. It’s moments like these that make us incredibly proud of our Hip Hop Pop family. Watching them support one another, represent our company with excellence, and blow the roof off the Playhouse is what it’s all about.
Celebrate Harlow is more than just a show—it’s a reminder of the power of the arts to bring people together, to tell important stories, and to uplift a community. Huge congratulations to all the groups who took part, especially our fellow resident companies at the Harlow Playhouse—we love sharing the stage with you all at events like these.
We’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Harlow Council, particularly the Chair of the Council and Emma Crouch, as well as the Harlow Playhouse team, with special thanks to Rory Davies and Ben Parsley, for always making us feel so welcome and for producing such a fantastic event.
Here’s to the next Celebrate Harlow—we can’t wait to be back!
Choreography: Jenny Bater-Sinclair
Lighting: Tom Sadler
Protagonist: Rebecca Chapman
Protagonist Body Double: Darcy Rowlandson
Dancers: Abbie, Amelie, Amelia, Anna-Rose, Annie, Belisa, Brooke, Cassie, Chloe, Darcy, Drew, Dylan, Freddie. Grace, Holly M, Holly B, Jess, Kaia, Kasey, Kemarah, Laura, Layla, Lewis, Matt, Maya, Mikaela, Rebecca, Shayla, Shelley, Siobhan, Summer, Victoria, Will.
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