Maiden Speech: 2019 Season
The third season of Maiden Speech took place between 5 - 16 November 2019 at Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden. The season consisted of 17 main bill productions, alongside a variety of panel discussions, scratch nights, workshops and a guest performance in partnership with Airlock Theatre.
2019 LINE UP
By Hannah Cound | Music & Lyrics by Amy Le Rossignol & Hannah Cound
A musical how-to guide that centres on the experience of an autistic woman navigating a neurotypical world. [Work-In-Progress]
By Melisa Camba
Boses (Voice) presents a tapestry of stories of migrant Filipino domestic workers, weaving documentary material and original music together in a moving and melodic solo show.
By Kayla Feldman
Based on real experiences, Can't Stop Won't Stop explores the lesser-known aspects of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, following one woman as she struggles to negotiate her first Real Adult Job and Serious Relationship and Normal Human Life, whilst battling this often dangerously misunderstood illness. [Work-In-Progress]
By Catherine Bensley
A darkly comic musical based on one woman's journey through a chronic illness and her experience of gender bias in the medical community.
By Bridget Glennie
Cindy, are you happy? Cindy is a Barbie Doll. Cindy isn't real. Cindy, Are You Listening? is a comedic, autobiographical solo show exploring modern femininity, pop culture, and the craving for constant happiness.
Dear Peter
By Evangeline Dickson
Immerse yourself in the world of Dear Peter: an enchanting semi-autobiographical solo show, exploring one woman's shifting identity and her life-long fascination with Peter Pan. [Work-In-Progress]
Definitely Maybe Actually Nevermind
By Crystal Bollix
A new cabaret extravaganza all about the pitfalls of chick flicks and Colin Firth, Definitely Maybe Actually Nevermind sees drag artist Crystal Bollix take on their greatest enemy yet ... Romantic Comedies.
DOTS
By Annie Cheung
Teetering dangerously between tragedy and comedy, DOTS is a bold, moving, and humorous solo performance about depression and the pressure to function, created by Hong Kong lawyer-turned-actress Annie Cheung.
Game Face
By Lexi Clare, Lucy Park & Katie Paterson
Resist. Relapse. Repeat. Game Face is a joyously anarchic gig theatre show about body image, shame resilience and the effort it takes to resist that need to be ‘beautiful’. [Work-In-Progress]
I...
By Asa Haynes
Written and performed by Asa Haynes, I... is a solo show exploring loneliness and the complexity of connection.
I Woke Up Feeling Electric
By Jack Robson
Examining concepts of identity and humanity in the context of artificial intelligence, I Woke Up Feeling Electric is a human play about technological minds.
Paper Fortune Teller
By Samantha Peters
Told through 12 genre-bending astrologically inspired acts, Paper Fortune Teller is an all-singing, all-hula hooping, all-roller skating romp through one woman’s queer femme nostalgia.
Please, Feel Free To Share
By Rachel Causer
“Hi. I’m Alex and I’m... and I’m…” What shall I be today? Who should I be? Please, Feel Free to Share is a dark comedy about the growing need to share our entire lives, even if it what we're sharing isn’t always the truth.
The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English
By Tania Nwachukwu
Onye wetere oji, weter ndu - He who brings Kola, brings life. The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English is a Nigerian-British woman’s exploration of memory, language, family and cultural histories through African theatre practices.
The Lesson
By Gracia Rios
In The Lesson, absurdity and dark humour collide in a solo clowning performance about power dynamics and poor sexual education in the Spanish community.
Weapons Of The Weak
By Nancy Salt
Join Nancy and the Hail Marys for Weapons Of The Weak, an uplifting piece of gig theatre celebrating self-love and acceptance in the aftermath of abuse.
Welcome To Nowhere
By Carmen Law
Carmen is a Hongkonger, but the place she feels like she belongs most is Nowhere. Welcome To Nowhere is a solo show that interrogates what it means to exist at the intersection of different and radically shifting national identities. [Work-In-Progress]
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
TUNA
By Rosanna Suppa
Maiden Speech is partnering with Airlock to bring you a special one-off guest performance of TUNA: a darkly comic play about social mobility, female criminality, and the unsexy side of growing up around guns.
Panel Discussion: Fact vs. Fiction
How do personal experiences inspire onstage performances? How do creators distance themselves from autobiographical material? What must a show do to be considered “truthful”? Join Maiden Speech creators and guest panelists as we discuss the blending of fact and fiction, and finding truth on stage.
Panel Discussion: Binaries And Beyond
How can something so fluid be distilled down into 45 minutes of stage-time? How can theatre and performance interrogate the space between the binaries, identities and experiences that resist the normative? Join Maiden Speech creators and guest panelists as we discuss the representation of gender and sexuality on stage.
Panel Discussion: Brains On Stage
How do our brains differ from yours? How do internal thoughts and mental processes translate on stage? What can theatre do to explain the unexplainable? Join Maiden Speech creators and guest panelists as we discuss the representation of neurodiversity and mental health on stage.
Panel Discussion: Moshpit To Musical
Is it a gig? Is it theatre? Is it a musical, an opera, a play-with-songs, or something else altogether? Join Maiden Speech creators and guest panelists as we discuss the shifting role of songs on stage.
Panel Discussion: Going Global
Maiden Speech is proud to present work made by theatre makers from every continent - except Antarctica. Join Maiden Speech creators and guest panelists from across the globe, as we discuss international theatre practices on London stages.
Panel Discussion: Maiden Speech Creators Q&A
Join Maiden Speech creators as they discuss the process of creating their shows and their experiences as emerging artists in the London theatre scene.
Scratch Night: Coalition
An evening of scratch performances by female-identifying artists that explore intersections of gender, sexuality and mental health. Hosted by Ashleigh Laurence, Coalition brings together an exciting group of emerging creatives who are testing out new work that traverses a range of styles and themes.
Scratch Night: Working Progress
Curated by Roxane Bourges, Working Progress is a multi-genre scratch night for domestic and international artists alike to test out new material in front of a welcoming audience in the heart of the West End. Come explore the possibilities with comedians, poets, musicians, and performers of all denominations as they give you a tingly taste of their new oeuvres.
Drag Makeup Workshop with Crystal Bollix
Grab your make-up kit and join drag artist Crystal as they take you through the basics of their process and help you unleash your inner imagination all across your face.
Journey Through Life: Character Development Workshop For Actors And Theatre-Makers
Led by Kayla Feldman, this workshop will encourage participants to shed inhibitions and follow their instincts through a long-form guided improvisation exercise.