Written and directed by Julia Samuels, designed by Miriam Nabarro for 20 Stories High/ Contact Theatre Manchester. This verbatim play, created from over 40 interviews around issues around young people and abortion, was hugely successful, and was subsequently commissioned as part of BBC Performance Live. First performed 2017
Acted out on a stunning set designed by Miriam Nabarro, consisting of four white boxes dominated by two suspended red neon lights, representing the positive lines of a pregnancy kit, the four performers share with sensitivity, tears and often laughter, the experiences of four women who have all had abortions.... Rightly so at the end of the performance, Alizah Khan, the exceptional Dorcas Sebuyange, Emma Burns and Jamie-Lee O’Donnel, were treated to a standing ovation.
The ovation was also in part for the nameless contributors who gave permission for their stories to be shared and also for Julia Samuels who with this piece, has created both an outstanding piece of verbatim theatre and also made a timely contribution to the global movement to challenge the reduction of Women’s rights.
“…a vivid, clever piece that fuses tough subject matter with wicked humour and moments of pungent emotion” Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
“...a joy just to hear these women speak so openly” The Stage
“...ninety minutes of well crafted, challenging and gripping theatre”
Reviews Hub
During an intense week of research and development, working in the rehearsal room, I created these collages, using photos and Paula Rego’s incredible prints and drawings from The Abortion Series. This led to a storyboard from which the pared down set of 4 freestanding ‘islands’ with strips of pink neon as the Pregancy test positive, allowing an abstract setting against the literalness of the verbatim process.