We chatted to Phoebe about starring in Sophie Swithinbank’s one-woman play Surrender at the Arcola Theatre from the 19th June until the 13th July, ahead of the show’s run at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Hi Phoebe, could you explain what we can expect from ‘Surrender’? A really thrilling hour watching a woman wrestle with the world to assert her position in it. Some people laugh, others cry…. So it depends on your own experiences what you will take from it!
How does it feel to be starring in a one-woman show? It feels exciting. There’s also a lot of responsibility – you have to rely on the technical aspects of the show to give you your inspiration in the moment. Luckily we’ve got a highly skilled and talented team of creative technicians who are doing just that! I miss the camaraderie of a full cast, but there’s also something empowering in having full control!
What were your first impressions of Sophie Swithinbank’s play when you
first read it? Sophie and I had worked together since leaving drama school 8 years ago, so I knew that the script would contain her signature clarity and simplicity which packs a very strong emotional punch – she is a very talented writer. We have been developing the script together since 2019, a year after my daughter was born. It started out as a poem based on Kate’s final monologue in Taming of the Shrew, and over the years the storyline developed into what it is now.
How does it feel to be taking the show to the Edinburgh Fringe? I’m thrilled to be returning to Edinburgh. I’ve performed there a couple of times – the first time in 2005. I also lived there for five years, so I will be in a constant haze of nostalgia I think!
What do you think people will take away from the show? I hope people will take away a whole load of contradictions from the show. We want to show that there are always different ways of understanding a story – to move away from the chronic ‘goodies vs baddies’ culture that is pervasive at the moment. I hope that mothers will feel seen and understood. I hope that those who aren’t mothers will feel closer to the lived experience of what it means to raise a child under certain conditions in this country at the moment. In all my work, I try to connect to the undercurrent of the human experience, and I hope people will feel that.
It sounds quite intense emotionally – how do you feel about bringing this story to life? Yes, it is an emotionally intense show. I feel great about bringing it to life – we need
theatre to show us what we don’t dare to imagine, what we don’t dare to feel. So that we feel less alone in our complicated humanity.
What are you most looking forward to about performing ‘Surrender’ for
audiences? I’m most looking forward to letting Mother speak. Giving her her moment to tell her story to charm the audience and make them laugh. And to give them a chance to love her as well as judge her.
By Emma Clarendon
To book tickets visit: https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/surrender/