The CAW is particularly interested in how performance can inform research about Arts and Wellbeing. In an interview with The Bread and Roses Theatre London, Clapham, one of our newest members –  Dr Ifigeneia Giannopoulou – talks about an immersive show she has produced and what she hopes the audience will take from the performance in terms of mental health, diversity and social justice.

What inspired you to create this show? Why this story?

This particular play, Death and the Maiden, is a powerful story on freedom and justice and the impact that political abuses have on the past, present and future of the everyday person. The same time it is a story of love, a couple that has to find trust between them again and survive their skeletons in the closet against all odds. However, it is also a play about revenge. How fear and abuse can destroy the mental well being and drive people towards uncharacteristic actions, maybe even violence?

With Triada theatre company, our mission is to perform plays that focus on mental health and political freedom of expression, and raise social awareness on everyday issues that affect us all such as human rights, relationships, equality and diversity. This play is a perfect example of the message we want to convey to our audiences.

What do audiences have to look forward to?

This is an intense, almost cinematic in each approach, dark, immersive, psychological thriller. The aim of our production is to bring our audience ‘into the world of our characters’ and take them on a roller coaster ride through suspense and unexpected events on stage.

Have there been any obstacles in the creation?

It has been an unbelievable experience for our company to create this immersive performance. We chose to premiere the play in the living room of one of our friend’s apartments in order to build step by step the intimate and close-up as well as intense atmosphere that we have created for our audiences. This has enabled us to create a piece of theatre that uses space in a very interesting and diverse way and gives you that feel that you are in someone’s house and you are witnessing what the main characters are going through!

Who are the collaborators on this production?

We have a lovely, diverse team of creatives. I am the producer of the play and I have co-directed the show with 3 more creatives, Angela Dezlein our original director, Matt Turpin an actor and director and John Newcombe an actor, musician and director. We have our lovely light and sound tech Strat Mastoris that will use light and sound in a unique way to create this tense, immersive experience and delve into the audiences’ emotions. And we are fortunate to be joined for the first time in the performance, by Music Composer Mark Parr that he has written the original music for our play, following on the dark themes of this production.

Who should see this show & why?

Everyone should see this show, as long as they are over 15 year old due to the tension and the themes that will be discussed as well as the language used. It is a play as I said before that will touch on every single person in the audience and will make them reflect on their own relationships and injustices and personal situations beyond their control. It is for the everyday person!

What attracted you to stage this production at The Bread & Roses Theatre?

The mission of triada is to create immersive theatre in different small intimate artistic spaces in order to allow the audience to witness from close up our storytelling and feel that they are part of ‘our world in the play’ , absorbing every single moment and experience. The Bread & Roses Theatre is perfect for us to create this unique atmosphere for our audiences. The Bread & Roses Theatre is also a community theatre that brings people together and closer to the arts which is one of our visions as a company. Let’s bring theatre into people’s lives!

What have been the highlights of the process?

The whole process has been fascinating really! We have a fabulous group of actors and creatives, and despite the dark themes of the play, we had a lot of fun creating this tense psychological thriller! Some of the highlights of the process were the touring of the play in various stages in the South of the UK such Hastings and Hove and meeting all these wonderful creatives; our collaboration with our music producer Mark Parr and the creation of these amazing dark pieces of music; and finally the actual play itself and our performances, that have allowed us the actors to go through a dramatic but passionate and invigorating journey through our character’s lives.

What do you think the future of british fringe theatre looks like and how does the show/your company fit into it?

In Tríada, we strongly believe in the power of community theatre and the british fringe festival and theatres are pivotal in uniting people and bringing the theatre to the community entertaining and raising awareness on various social issues. This is so important especially as the Arts have been consistently underfunded and unsupported. Our company’s vision is to strengthen fringe theatre in the community and we are at the moment taking actions with local theatres in Brighton and Hove and London to fuel community theatre and raise funding in collaboration with the local universities, drama schools and organisations to support british fringe events.

What’s next (for you / the show / the company)?

As the producer of Tríada company, I have been involved in the past few months with a number of creatives, directors, academics and producers in the development of our company and the creation of a new community theatre hub in Brighton and Hove. We are currently in the process of establishing a new working environment for artists and creatives in performance arts to get together and experiment in different forms of art. Part of this initiative is the planning and preparation of our next play by Dario Fo.  In the past few weeks we have been casting actors with our new director Sascha Cooper and making progress to hit the stage in the spring. We will keep The Bread & Roses Theatre updated and we hope to come back and perform in your great space again!

– Dr Ifigeneia Giannopoulou (Triada’s new show, Death and the Maiden,  is on at The Lantern Theatre Kemp Town on the 19^th and 20^th November, for tickets please go to Death and the Maiden | Lantern Theatre Brighton)