Tommy & Teresa

A forbidden love story between a Traveller site and a council estate, told through explosive dance, rap and a caravan that opens into a whole world of family, culture, conflict and belonging. 

From the team behind RIDE!, Tommy & Teresa reimagines Romeo and Juliet through Gypsy and Traveller voices, blending Southpaw’s high-energy dance-theatre language with lyrical storytelling by Gypsy rapper Big Deli.

Southpaw Company creates visually powerful dance-theatre rooted in working-class stories, community collaboration and cinematic physical storytelling. Led by Artistic Director Robby Graham, the company is known for large-scale outdoor work, explosive choreography, projection, music and socially engaged performance that makes communities visible in public space. Southpaw’s work has reached audiences across the UK and internationally, spanning outdoor festivals, major civic events, indoor touring, film and immersive experiences. The company believes representation carries responsibility: stories should be made with people, not about them, revealing the beauty, strength, humour and dignity of communities too often misrepresented or unheard.

For Tommy & Teresa, Southpaw is working in close collaboration with Spin Arts, an award-winning independent producing company specialising in touring dance and socially engaged work rooted in communities whose stories are often under-represented in cultural spaces, particularly Gypsy and Traveller communities. Spin Arts brings deep experience in community-led producing, outdoor touring and culturally sensitive co-creation, ensuring the project is developed with care, integrity and a strong connection to the communities at its heart.

The project is also being developed with Romany Gypsy rapper and storyteller Big Deli / Will Keet, whose voice, lyrical storytelling and lived experience shape the cultural and emotional heart of the work. This collaboration builds directly on RIDE!, Southpaw and Spin Arts’ Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture production with Gypsy and Traveller communities. Through consultation, sharing and co-creation, Tommy & Teresa will continue this partnership, developing a bold new outdoor production that celebrates Gypsy and Traveller culture while exploring love, family, prejudice and belonging.