A new show at Stratford Circus will mesh hip-hop, theatre and puppetry to highlight hard-hitting issues faced by young people in the UK today.

The Broke ‘n’ Beat Collective, which has been produced by theatre companies 20 Stories High and Theatre-Rites in collboration with NewVIc students, unites four young exciting artists.

Beat-boxer Hobbit, b-boy – which refers to breakdancing – Ryan LoGisTic Harston, singer Elektric and puppeteer Mohsen Nouri will discuss the ways in which relationships, poverty, mental health and body image can impact people differently.

Sue Buckmaster, artistic director at Theatre-Rites, said: “These four stunning artists have come together with us to hear first-hand what young people in our communities face, from feeling invisible to feeling pressured, from harming themselves to the harm inflicted on them by others.

“We’ve put it together with the concept of making it like a gig, but also with a lot of story-telling, which goes into issues like pregnancy, self-harm and broken egos.”

The show is co-written by artistic directors Sue Buckmaster and Keith Saha. The pair met on a work project three years ago and have come together again to create this production.

“We just really wanted to work together to combine hip-hop and puppetry together,” Sue said.

“It seems to be going really well, almost beyond expectations, and the response we’ve been getting is amazing as people are really moved or inspired by the stories.”

The Broke ‘n’ Beat Collective takes place at Stratford Circus on 15 and 16 March. Tickets cost £8 to £10, call 020 8279 1080 or visit click here for times and availability.