NOR WOMAN NEITHER
Tristan Bates Theatre, November 25th – December 14th 2019
Written and performed by RADA graduates Ingrid Schiller and Verity Kirk, Nor Woman Neither is a 60 minute dark comedy with a kick about growing up and womanhood. Nor Woman Neither was first performed at the RADA Festival, and will now run for three weeks at the Tristan Bates Theatre.
In a world burdened with the pressure of success, how far would you go to get what you want? Meet Laura, an actress: failing – but failing confidently whilst drowning in a torrent of love, lust and ambition. Faced with a life-changing dilemma, Laura rollercoasters through her torrid past in deciding what to do. Through a series of individually striking and absorbing vignettes we follow Laura’s developing womanhood from her early girlhood sexual flutter upon sighting Ursula Andress on television to her adult, struggling actress self.Writer and performer Ingrid Schiller was born in South Africa, then moved to Germany and was part of the Dresden State Theatre Youth Group. She trained at City Lit and RADA. Writer and performer Verity Kirk is from Harrogate, and also studied at RADA. Ingrid and Verity first wrote together for their final showcase at RADA. Ingrid began writing a scene about a lonely little girl who desperately wants the attention of her inattentive Dad, and the moment she starts thinking that as a girl the only way to power is to appeal to those at the top: men. This starts her off on a comedic journey in which every scene leads her deeper down the rabbit hole of laughter and despair.
Nor Woman Neither is directed by Stephen Doolan. “When first reading Nor Woman Neither I was instantly hooked by the brutally honest, black humour that had been so deftly carved into this comically moving tale,” he says. “The major theme of the play is the idea of how women are surreptitiously manipulated and often coerced by a patriarchal society into following certain paths and patterns of behaviour from childhood onwards.”Nor Woman Neither is produced by Undivided Pictures and JR Theatre for Killer Shirk. it was important for the producers that the show was made accessible to low income households and blind, partially sighted audience. They have raised over £3.5k to give free tickets as well as hiring audio describing equipment for 5 performances. Undivided Pictures and JR Theatre are happy to support accessible arts for all and hope this new writing is given the platform it deserves to excel.