by Dacia Maraini
Translated by Sharon Wood
Directed by Nicolette Kay
Presented by New Shoes Theatre in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre
Cast: Eugenia Caruso. Kehinde Fadipe. Mariam Haque. Anthony Ofoegbu. Peter Marinker
The UK Premiere
**** Four Stars
London Theatre Reviews
Sundays and Mondays, 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16 November 2009
“He grabs me by the hair, drags me into the kitchen, throws me on the floor. He hits me while I am on my knees, he yanks at my plait as if he wants to pull it right off, once he cut it with the huge shearing shears. I don’t have any hair any more. It doesn’t matter how much I scream, beg or cry, all I get is kicks.”
Presented to support the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November) and Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women campaign, the UK premiere of Hurried Steps by acclaimed Italian playwright Dacia Mariani opens at the Finborough Theatre for six Sunday and Monday performances on Sunday, 1 November 2009.
Recounting women’s testimonies of violence, eight stories, inspired by the experiences of real women, are presented in an honest, stark, no frills style. Amnesty International’s UK team has assisted Dacia Maraini to write a new scene exclusively for the London production, derived from Amnesty International UK testimonies. The performance is followed by a panel discussion with field workers from a number of different organisations.
Originally created as part of the international project Passi Affretatti (Hurried Steps), the play has ignited a global debate about the impact of violence against women and has already been performed worldwide and translated into six languages.
“With hurried steps these women flee from pain and discrimination. Inspired by real facts reported by Amnesty International, the text is a testimony, an accusation, a gesture of solidarity and acknowledgement of all the women who are still prisoners of a forced marriage, of a violent family, of a hustler, of tradition or of age-old discriminations which are so difficult to overcome.” Dacia Maraini
Playwright Dacia Maraini is a renowned Italian playwright, novelist, and poet, and has been a champion of women’s issues since the 1970’s, speaking fearlessly against any action that impinges women’s rights. In her writing, broadcasts and interviews, she has effectively challenged the Italian establishment from Berlusconi to the Mafia and the Vatican. A prolific playwright, her version of Mary Stuart is continuously performed worldwide including a production by La Mama in New York. Other UK productions include Dialogue Between A Prostitute And Her Client (Half Moon Theatre), directed by Ann Mitchell. Her novels, Voci, La Sono Mia, Memoirs of a Female Thief and Marianna Ucria were made into films, and she has also written screenplays including Arabian Nights, directed by Pasolini. She has won the Formentor Prize, the Premio Fregene, the Premio Campiello and the Premio Strega awards. Translator Professor Sharon Wood is Head of Modern Languages at Leicester University.
Director Nicolette Kay is Artistic Director of New Shoes Theatre. As an advocate of Dacia Marini’s work, her many previous productions include Dacia Maraini’s The Dreams of Clytemnestra (BAC) ; Mela (BAC); Mary Stuart (BAC) Time Out Critics’ Choice) - “Excellent performances and some stunning moments of violence” The Independent; “Fascinating” Time Out; “Nicolette Kay directs the often exhilarating proceedings…a production of character” The Guardian; Other productions include The B3 Team (Lyric Studio, Hammersmith). She also co-translated Mary Stuart which was subsequently published and has been continuously performed in the English speaking world. Nicolette returns to the Finborough Theatre following her production of Love Child by Joanna Murray-Smith in 2007 – “Two fine performances in Nicolette Kay's gripping but measured production." Evening Standard. She had a successful career as a young leading actress playing opposite Edward Fox, James Fleet, David Jason, and also appeared in the premiere of Anthony Minghella’s Love Bites (Derby Playhouse) and With All My Love I Hate You by Lynda La Plante (The Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh). In recent years, she has worked extensively with young troubled people including creating films with a girls’ group and an original musical with a group of young offenders on probation in Nottingham.
The cast includes
Eugenia Caruso who won The Stage Award for Best Actress at the Edinburgh Festival for her performance in Truckstop. Her other theatre credits include More Light (Arcola Theatre), Bar and Ger, The Decameron (Rose Theatre, Bankside). Film includes The Demons Of St Petersburg, Release and the award-winning short film The Silver Rope.
Mariam Haque’s credits include Category B (Tricycle Theatre) and Stovepipe (National Theatre and the Bush Theatre). Kehinde Fadipe has just graduated from RADA and is making her professional stage debut in Hurried Steps.
Peter Marinker is a highly experienced stage, TV and film actor whose credits include Waiting for Godot (The Godot Company at the Finborough Theatre), The Merchant of Venice (The Old Vic), The Big Idea, The Seduction Of Almighty God and Ragman (The Wrestling School). Film includes Love Actually, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Event Horizon, Judge Dredd, The Russia House Easy Access and The Emerald Forest. TV credits include Bugs, Bodyguards and Casualty.
Anthony Ofoegbu recently appeared at the Finborough Theatre in Nigel Planer’s Death Of Long Pig. Other Theatre includes Death and the King’s Horseman (National Theatre), The Child (Pilot Theatre), Twelfth Night (Royal and Derngate Theatres, Northampton), Long Time No See (Talawa Theatre Company), Oedipus At Colonus (Nevada Conservatory Theatre), The Blond (The Space and Cockpit Theatre), The Twits (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry), Treemonisha (Hackney Empire), and The Beatification Of Area Boy (International Tour and West Yorkshire Playhouse). TV credits include Spooks, Casualty, Literacy and Numeracy, Chambers, Family Affairs and The Bill. Film credits include Bad Day, Dead Room, Plato’s Breaking Point, The Killing Zone and Samson and Delilah.
Confirmed Panel Speakers include
1 November
Meghan Field – Domestic Violence Services Coordinator, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Anthony Wills – CEO, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence
Roselyn Ezendiokwele – Manager, Kensington Refuge, Hestia
2 November
Sophie Dixon – Manager, Independent DV Advocacy Service for Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Woman’s Trust
8 November
Briony Redman – MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) Coordinator Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence
9 November
Zainab Ibrahim-Noor – Independent Domestic Violence Advisor, Woman’s Trust
15 November
Roselyn Ezendiokwele – Manager, Kensington Refuge, Hestia
Briony Redman – MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) Coordinator Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence
16 November
Thien Nguyen Phan – Independent Domestic Violence Advisor, Woman’s Trust
The Press on Hurried Steps
“As a vehicle to promote action against domestic violence, Hurried Steps is fantastic. Right from the offset, knowing that these are true stories before a word is even uttered is reason enough for the audience to get immersed. The stories told are brutal and heartbreaking, and some very strong performances help to get into the skin of the individuals involved…What resonates most when watching Hurried Steps is the simplicity of it all. This is not a preaching, nor is it an attempt at glorification…As Maraini had intended, each performance is followed by a open-forum discussion with specially-invited guests and the audience… Hurried Steps does exactly what it sets out to do – it opens the eyes of the audience to the seriousness of domestic violence around the world...With a women’s rights activist like Maraini having penned the script, and Amnesty International paying an active role in the promotion, this is a credible and admirable attempt at raising awareness.” Jafar Iqbal, Extra! Extra!
" This is a concert style of performance where literally the actors read from their scripts on music stands enacting their many parts. The subject is about the abuse of women sexually, physically, mentally, socially in all parts of the world…east /west south /north peasant or professional. The male attitude is given vent to the heartbreak of the women. The point of the programme is to give hope and courage to those women afraid to speak out. The programme should tour to all corners of the world. The number of characters vary from nurses, mother, father, aunt, aid agency, UNICEF, journalist, inspector, TV announcer, social services to a list of abused women by first name. The stories are hair-raising…..this is an important step… small as it… is to raise the consciousness of the world to this endless existing problem. It’s BEAUTIFUL work from the Finborough, the actors, director and designers for its Sunday/ Monday slot." Blanche Marvin, London Theatre Reviews
