Scrounger by Athena Stevens
Donation protected
Aegis Productions are raising funds for SCROUNGER: a brand new play by Finborough Theatre Playwright in Residence and Olivier Award nominee Athena Stevens.
Based on real life events and a lawsuit initiated by Stevens in 2016, SCROUNGER explores the realities of how Britain is failing its most vulnerable and the extreme cost paid by those seeking justice.
We warmly invite you to support this landmark theatrical event: the first play of the Finborough Theatre’s 40th anniversary year: https://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/productions/2020/scrounger.php
Scrounger doesn’t care. A successful online personality, she’s got more power from her bedroom than anyone on the Southwark estates could dream of. She’s educated, she’s ballsy, and with a huge network of online allies, Scrounger is a woman who knows how to make change happen.
That is, until an airline destroys her wheelchair.
Originally seen as part of Vibrant 2019 – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights, Scrounger will is enjoying a limited four-week run from 7 January - 1 February 2020. We have been raising funds to do ensure that we deliver the high production values necessary to do justice to this astonishing piece of new writing, to market the show to the best of our abilities, and to make this important and timely play accessible to as wide an audience as possible, including filming the show, providing a 'relaxed' and BSL performance, and releasing an audio described podcast.
For this, we need your help.
Athena Stevens is an acclaimed writer, performer and director. She is the Artistic Director of Aegis Productions Ltd, writer on attachment at the Finborough Theatre and Creative Council member and Associate Artist at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Other collaborations include the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sadler’s Wells, National Theatre Studio, National Youth Theatre, BBC and Channel 4.
In 2011 she made her West End debut, as a writer and actress, in The Amazing Vancetti Sisters and in 2016 her second play, Schism, had its world premiere at the Finborough Theatre. In 2018 Schism transferred to the Park Theatre for which Athena was nominated for an Offie Award for Best Female Performance and an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre in 2019.
Athena's other work includes the feature documentary Day of Small Things (Channel 4), the short film The Conference (BBC) and three web series (YouTube). She is currently launching the self- advocacy platform Make Your Own Damn Tea, is a Huffington Post contributor and is completing her first non-fiction book. Athena is a TEDx speaker and Equality in the Media Spokesperson for the Women’s Equality Party.
Athena is a BBC Writers Access Group member, alumnus of the prestigious Channel 4 Screenwriting programme, and has been commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and the National Youth Theatre.
Born in Chicago, she now lives in London. Athena was born with athetoid cerebral palsy.
You can read more about the real life events that inspired SCROUNGER on Athena's website here: https://www.athenastevens.com/single-post/569d07b40cf2ca1e5ff43fab
"The industry has a very long way to go to break down their self-created barriers towards disabilities. I'm thrilled that my work as an actor has been recognised in this way and will keep fighting to get diverse voice heard in the mainstream." - Athena Stevens, on her OffWestEnd Award nomination for SCHISM.
Based on real life events and a lawsuit initiated by Stevens in 2016, SCROUNGER explores the realities of how Britain is failing its most vulnerable and the extreme cost paid by those seeking justice.
We warmly invite you to support this landmark theatrical event: the first play of the Finborough Theatre’s 40th anniversary year: https://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/productions/2020/scrounger.php
Scrounger doesn’t care. A successful online personality, she’s got more power from her bedroom than anyone on the Southwark estates could dream of. She’s educated, she’s ballsy, and with a huge network of online allies, Scrounger is a woman who knows how to make change happen.
That is, until an airline destroys her wheelchair.
Originally seen as part of Vibrant 2019 – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights, Scrounger will is enjoying a limited four-week run from 7 January - 1 February 2020. We have been raising funds to do ensure that we deliver the high production values necessary to do justice to this astonishing piece of new writing, to market the show to the best of our abilities, and to make this important and timely play accessible to as wide an audience as possible, including filming the show, providing a 'relaxed' and BSL performance, and releasing an audio described podcast.
For this, we need your help.
Athena Stevens is an acclaimed writer, performer and director. She is the Artistic Director of Aegis Productions Ltd, writer on attachment at the Finborough Theatre and Creative Council member and Associate Artist at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Other collaborations include the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sadler’s Wells, National Theatre Studio, National Youth Theatre, BBC and Channel 4.
In 2011 she made her West End debut, as a writer and actress, in The Amazing Vancetti Sisters and in 2016 her second play, Schism, had its world premiere at the Finborough Theatre. In 2018 Schism transferred to the Park Theatre for which Athena was nominated for an Offie Award for Best Female Performance and an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre in 2019.
Athena's other work includes the feature documentary Day of Small Things (Channel 4), the short film The Conference (BBC) and three web series (YouTube). She is currently launching the self- advocacy platform Make Your Own Damn Tea, is a Huffington Post contributor and is completing her first non-fiction book. Athena is a TEDx speaker and Equality in the Media Spokesperson for the Women’s Equality Party.
Athena is a BBC Writers Access Group member, alumnus of the prestigious Channel 4 Screenwriting programme, and has been commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and the National Youth Theatre.
Born in Chicago, she now lives in London. Athena was born with athetoid cerebral palsy.
You can read more about the real life events that inspired SCROUNGER on Athena's website here: https://www.athenastevens.com/single-post/569d07b40cf2ca1e5ff43fab
"The industry has a very long way to go to break down their self-created barriers towards disabilities. I'm thrilled that my work as an actor has been recognised in this way and will keep fighting to get diverse voice heard in the mainstream." - Athena Stevens, on her OffWestEnd Award nomination for SCHISM.
Fundraising team: Scrounger, the play (2)
Sarah Lawrie
Organizer
Sacha Billingham
Team member
