We chatted to the producer about The Soon life playing at the Southwark Playhouse from the 1st to the 18th October.
What drew you to work on a play with this subject matter? I’m drawn to untold stories – the stories with characters and themes that we don’t frequently see on our stages. I also love strong characters and comedy – Bec and Alex are 3D characters,
flawed and human and the script excited me immediately. I see the fear and curiosity in both of them, as they face parenthood, and that resonated with me. Birth is part of life and in many ways, while this play is about birth the drama is not the ‘birth’.
What do you think are the key themes of this play? Love, Relationships, imminent parenthood and body autonomy – bodies that birth and women’s bodies are still debated in parliaments around the world and the implications of that are being experienced by people around the world.
How does the birth story in The Soon Life differ from other depictions of birth and
what new conversations do you think it could open? Set in lockdown, the birth consciously moves away from the typical presentation of a screaming woman on a hospital bed. It’s a homebirth setting, to highlight the fact that birth can happen without trauma. It is not to promote ’homebirth’ as the way to birth – there is no single way and having experienced two births I firmly believe the ‘ideal’ birth is about being
safe and heard and held, regardless of where or with who or how.
What is the appeal of Alex & Bec? How do you think audiences will relate to
them? I enjoy seeing two characters representing a modern relationship, it’s a chance to laugh and cringe at all the moments that resonate. They are not infallible, but they are lovable. I also love the fact that Alex is very much a part of the birth, even if accidentally. Parenthood and masculinity have changed significantly over the past decade and we need to see that reflected in our characters and stories.
The creative team includes a lot of working parents; how do you think the arts &
theatre industry can better support working parents? For me, as an independent arts producer, I really enjoy working with people who accept and understand my context. The context of parenthood can be challenging and demands flexibility. The same can be said of neurodiversity, physical illness and mental health. It’s about adapting to people’s context to enable them to do the work they want and are able to do. A wider issue is the lack of government support for self-employed parents and partners. There is currently no statutory paternity pay for self-employed partners – that is a significant
challenge for freelancers to overcome.
Anything else we should know about this production? I’m really excited to be working with such a talented team and great partners. I can’t wait to see how audiences respond.
To book tickets visit: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/the-soon-life/