ViSiBLE Podcast Claire French

An interview with Sonja Linden by her daughter and Co-Director of Hackney Showroom, Nina Lyndon, unveiling the extent to which Roundelay and her former work have been inspired by her personal narrative. Introduced by Claire French.

Roundelay is part of a Linden's vast portfolio of plays, including a rich writing history with asylum seekers and refugees as part of iceandfire theatre which she founded in 2003.

A ROUNDELAY post-show discussion, Roundelay by Sonja Linden, 23 February to 18 March 2017, Southwark Playhouse

With older age effaced in our theatres and on our screens, Visible think it vital that we openly debate ways we can work together to secure the futures of our professional actors, while representing the diversity of the British population (1 in 3 of which are now over 60 years old). This session crucially aimed to bring to the fore the necessity of ‘age’ in ‘diversity in theatre’ discussions and build steps toward longer and more meaningful careers in British theatre.

Chaired by Age of No Retirement Co-founder Jonathan Collie, this discussion featured a panel including actor Annie Firbank, Chair of North & East London Branch of Equity Shenagh Govan and Mariko Primarolo, writer/ facilitator whose work within the Southwark Playhouse Elders Company aims to promote diversity in theatre.

A ROUNDELAY post-show discussion, Roundelay by Sonja Linden, 23 February to 18 March 2017, Southwark Playhouse

An invitation into the writer’s process: writer Sonja Linden and actress Clare Perkins, Roundelay’s Ringmistress, will discuss the nature of their close collaboration in writing the epilogue for Roundelay. Chaired by Claire French.

A ROUNDELAY post-show discussion, Roundelay by Sonja Linden, 23 February to 18 March 2017, Southwark Playhouse

A discussion between Director Anna Ledwich and Movement Director Diane Alison-Mitchell on their creative process in leading the ensemble through this fierce and physical new play by Sonja Linden. Chaired by Claire French.

Ledwich’s recent accolades include the mid-2016 Hampstead main stage production Labyrinth by Beth Steel described as ‘racily exciting work’ (Billington, The Guardian), while Alison-Mitchell’s extensive experience includes Othello and Julius Caesar at the RSC.

A ROUNDELAY post-show discussion, Roundelay by Sonja Linden, 23 February to 18 March 2017, Southwark Playhouse

Arthur Schnitzler’s Reigen (1897) has enjoyed multiple cinematic and theatrical translations and adaptions, from his own La Ronde in Vienna (1920) to David Hare’s The Blue Room (1998) and Jo DiPietro’s Fucking Men (2009) in New York.

This conversation between director Mike Alfreds, who in his 50-year career has translated and directed three productions of La Ronde, and writer of Roundelay Sonja Linden, shed light on personal motivations which drew them both to Schnitzler’s play, as well as challenges and illuminations along the way.

Introduced by Visible's director of outreach Claire French.

A ROUNDELAY post-show discussion, Roundelay by Sonja Linden, 23 February to 18 March 2017, Southwark Playhouse

Many loves? Shifting sexualities? Intergenerational relationships?

This panel discussion brought together a diverse pair of experts to comment on and discuss how Roundelay engages with diversity, sex and relationships across the ages.

Featuring Dr David Lee, Research Fellow at Manchester University who has been widely acknowledged for his recent research on the diversity of late-life sexualities; and, Jane Lees, Chair of the Sex Education Forum, trainer of sex and relationship education (SRE) and prominent consultant to SRE policy change at local and national level, this discussion was chaired by Visible’s director of outreach, Claire French.

A ROUNDELAY post-show discussion, Roundelay by Sonja Linden, 23 February to 18 March 2017, Southwark Playhouse