Lyric life

A new adaptation of Euripides’ Greek tragedy The Bacchae by Katherine Soper (Evening Standard Award winner for Most Promising Playwright), directed by Kwame Owusu and commissioned for the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s ground-breaking performance training programme, SPRINGBOARD, will run in the Studio from Thursday 20 –  Saturday 22 July 2023.

Following the success of the inaugural SPRINGBOARD production of Lysistrata in the Studio in 2022, the new 2023/24 cohort of trainees will perform this exciting re-lensed production, examining the pressures that young women face in a society bound by authoritarian control. In doing so, The Bacchae sets out to explore the fine lines between influence and power and speaks to the current pop culture zeitgeist of who we idolise in 2023. Whilst this adaptation sits in a contemporary society, it retains the mystical and fantastical elements of the original.

The show marks director Kwame Owusu’s return to the Lyric after his successful year as Resident Assistant Director in 2021/2022. The cast features all ten trainees of this year’s SPRINGBOARD, a ground-breaking, free two-year training programme providing unrivalled theatre-based training and development opportunities to nurture the next generation of performers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and groups underrepresented in theatre. SPRINGBOARD is kindly supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The Emmanuel Kaye Foundation who have helped to launch the programme through funding over the next three years for the first 30 trainees. Each year SPRINGBOARD commissions a new play on a re-lensed classic, building on last year’s progression of the 2021/22 cohort signing with major talent agencies following their production of Lysistrata.

It brings together a strong ensemble of ten SPRINGBOARD trainees, including Rima Georges, 26, from Westminster, Stacey Ann Henry, 20, from Brent, Kabira Imona, 25, from Kensington & Chelsea, Isaiah James-Mitchell, 23, from Ealing, Kim Mac, 25, from Hammersmith & Fulham, Bella Macdonald, 26, from Harrow, Louisa McClintock, 21, from Ealing, Bethany Monk-Lane, 26, from Wandsworth, Joshua Ogbue, 22, from Brent, and Behkam Salehani, 22, from Kensington & Chelsea.

Katherine Soper (Writer) and Kwame Owusu (Director), said: “Parallels between Euripides’ play and society emerge with every generation. From political scandals, the cost of living crisis, climate crisis, the unstoppable growth of social media making us more isolated to the ever-growing awareness of strictures placed on women – we are living in a society where power is taken for granted, and things aren’t fit for purpose. This thrilling play is about the clash between the old world and the new: where young people, led by a mysterious leader, create a new world. We’re looking forward to collaborating with this brilliant next generation of actors to bring this exciting story to life.”

Rachel O’Riordan, Artistic Director at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, said: “I am incredibly proud to see the new cohort of SPRINGBOARD trainees come together in their first Studio production, The Bacchae, announced today, written by Katherine Soper. We are thrilled to welcome back Kwame Owusu as Director following his time at the Lyric as Resident Assistant Director. Working with a professional creative team, this next generation of actors take on Euripides’ Greek classic and transform it in a bold and intricate way. Drawing upon our rich history of nurturing talent, SPRINGBOARD reflects our strong commitment to creating new opportunities in theatre, and we are delighted to see this talented cohort of 10 inspiring trainees take the stage and industry by storm. ”

“It felt like I was going around with a secret, like I had this whole beautiful rainforest inside myself.”

When a group of young women discover the mysterious and charming Bacchus, they instantly form an unshakeable devotion to him and each other – it has awakened something inside of them that cannot be contained. Is this a supportive sisterhood or something more dangerous? And as their community strengthens, how do the authorities scramble to regain control?

A thrilling exploration of power and the modern world, Euripides’ seminal play is brought up to date in this mystical new version by award-winning playwright Katherine Soper, directed by Kwame Owusu (Lyric Resident Assistant Director 2021-22).

The Bacchae is written by Katherine Soper, directed by Kwame Owusu, design by Tomás Palmer, lighting design by Ros Chase, sound design by Kayodeine Gomez.

Biographies

Creative Team

Katherine Soper – Writer
Katherine Soper’s first play, Wish List, won the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, The Stage Debut Award for Best New Play, and caused Katherine to be nominated as Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Awards. It was performed at the Manchester Royal Exchange and Royal Court, directed by Matthew Xia, and is published by Nick Hern Books. Her next play, The Small Hours, was written for National Theatre Connections. Katherine has written for The Big House and for BBC Radio 4 and is currently under commission to the Royal Court.

Kwame Owusu – Director
Kwame Owusu is a director and writer. He was the Resident Assistant Director at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in 2021/2022 and is a Young Associate at the Gate Theatre. His work in theatre as a director includes Othello at ArtsEd; stoning mary at Arts University Bournemouth; The Wolf from the Door at the John Thaw Studio; Rota at Antwerp Mansion; and Pomona at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the King’s Arms, Manchester. Work as a Staff Director includes Romeo and Julie at the National Theatre and Sherman Theatre. Work as an associate or assistant director includes Closer, Britannicus, Scandaltown, and Running With Lions at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre; Bee at the Old Vic; and Utopolis at Manchester International Festival. His writing for audio includes The Factory for English Touring Theatre. His writing for theatre includes HORIZON for the Bush Theatre. He trained at the University of Manchester and Birkbeck, University of London.

Tomás Palmer – Designer
Tomás Palmer (he/him) creates work for theatre, new writing, dance, opera, musicals and film. Tomás trained at The Glasgow School of Art and The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He is one of the 2021 winners of The Linbury Prize for Stage Design and was the production designer on the BAFTA and BIFA Award winning short film Too Rough in 2022.
Theatre Design credits include: My Uncle Is Not Pablo Escobar (Brixton House); Julius Caesar (co-costume designer with Rosanna Vize, RSC); Sanctuary (Black Cab); Sophocles’ Oedipus / Silent Practice (Lamda); The Wellspring (co-designer with Rosie Elnile, Royal and Derngate); Time Is Running Out (Gate Theatre/Cardiff); Half Full (Bute Theatre/RWCMD); Winning (Glasgow School of Art); Autocue (Centre for Contemporary Art Glasgow).
Associate design credits include: Word-Play (Royal Court Theatre); The Cherry Orchard (Yard Theatre/ETT/Home Manchester); Sound of The Underground (Royal Court Theatre).

Ros Chase – Lighting Designer
Ros will graduate with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Technology from Guildhall in July 2023. She is passionate about using design to transform a space and is interested in theatre as a form of education, inspiration, and amplification for voices of underrepresented communities, especially women and the LGBTQ+ community. Ros’ work has been described as ‘a masterclass in how to light a small space’ by WhatsOnStage, and she was nominated for Best Lighting Design of a new play or musical by Broadway World UK in 2022. Her recent credits include Attempts on Her Life at Guildhall’s Silk Street Theatre; For a Palestinian at Camden People’s Theatre and Bristol Old Vic; Rapture at the Pleasance Theatre and VAULT Festival; SHE at Tara Theatre and UK Tour; Shake the City at the Leeds Playhouse and Greenwich Theatre; TuckShop’s Dick Whittington at the Phoenix Theatre; and Hyde & Seek in Guildhall’s Milton Court Theatre.

Kayodeine Gomez – Sound Designer
Kayodeine (she/they) is a Black trans femme sound designer and performing electronic musician and DJ working across theatre, film, nightlife, performance art and music with a focus on amplifying marginalised stories and experimentation, constantly referencing her identity, heritage and culture in her work, and staying connected with community through workshops and collaboration. She was recently awarded the Light and/or Sound Recognition Award by the Black British Theatre Awards.