WHO SAID THEATRE CAN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE!

In February 2022, after Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, the journalist, translator and critic John Freedman put out a request for theatres across the world to stage Ukrainian plays by way of protest. I was asked to take the role of the unnamed woman in Pussycat in Memory of Darkness, a one-woman show, which I've subsequently taken to Ukraine (twice), the US, Portugal and Germany.

CV

I trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and have worked all over the world, both on Broadway and throughout Europe, as well as in the UK.

Theatre work includes seasons at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, many London fringe venues, as well as theatres up and down the UK and in Europe.

Major roles: Petra (the Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant), Portia (The Merchant of Venice), Hecuba (the Women of Troy), Helen (The Women of Troy), Helena (Howard Barker’s (Uncle) Vanya), Maja (When We Dead Awaken), Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), Catherine de Medici (The Massacre at Paris), Marcie (A Funny Thing Happened), the Woman (Pussycat in Memory of Darkness), the Trumpeter (The Trumpeter).

Film and tv work includes: Poppyland (dir John Madden), To the Lighthouse (dir Colin Gregg), A Little Chaos (dir Alan Rickman), City of the Dead (dir Ronald Chase), Scene of the Crime (dir John Gugolka), Heard From Above (dir Jonathan Tammuz), The Magical World of Miracles (dir Elle van Kroll), A Fistful of Karma (dir Terence Gross).

Awards: nominated for a Time Out Award for The Bitterness of Petra von Kant; finalist in the 2019 Offies (Off West End Awards) for A Funny Thing Happened; nominated for an Offie for Pussycat in Memory of Darkness (2023).

SUPPORT OUR WORK

WHO SAID THEATRE CAN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE? IT’S LED TO A NEW FESTIVAL IN GERMANY!

The impact of Pussycat in Memory of Darkness in 2023 was so powerful that a new festival (Festival for Ukraine) was created in Wiesbaden. The Mayor, as Patron of the festival, declared it had radically changed his attitude to the war.

The impact of the Trumpeter in Feb ’24 was even greater than that of Pussycat. We have now been invited to perform The Trumpeter at The Finborough Theatre in west London (see link) from July 9 to August 3. Our plan is subsequently to tour it, both abroad and in the UK.

BREAKDOWN OF COSTS here…?

I went to Ukraine first in December ’22. I decided then that I would take Pussycat in Memory of Darkness, Neda’s play, wherever I could, to remind audiences that the Ukrainians are fighting to preserve their freedom. Any donation you are able to make will help us bring Pussycat in Memory of Darkness and now Inna Goncharova’s play, The Trumpeter, to the attention of audiences both here and abroad. And who says theatre can’t make a difference? It’s led to a new festival in Germany!

Whatever you give will be received with great gratitude and you will, of course, be credited. These two plays are very powerful tools that bring the lives of ordinary Ukrainians into people’s living rooms. We’re living in terrifying times. Most of us feel powerless, but we can do something. A donation, however small, will help bring Ukraine back into people’s consciousness.

A projected breakdown of costs for The Finborough

Hire of theatre/use of mailing list - £2000

PR - £1500

Stage manager - £1700-2000

Lighting design - £500

Sound design - £500

Website for the purpose of fundraising £750

Director’s fee for the get-in - £500

Hire of smoke machine - D/K

Van hire to transport 3 chairs - D/K

Translator’s and writer’s fees - negotiable

Actor’s fee - negotiable

…………………

Producer for future tour - £500 pw

We need to raise £10,000. We will use the revenue from ticket sales to fund a future tour. And we thank you.