Sap

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I have been in several meetings recently with theatres who have expressed an interest in my work and those conversations have come down to me being asked “Do you have a great producer we could co-produce with?” or “Do you have connections with other theatres we could co-produce with?” or “Do you have a celebrity who you have a good relationship with?” Jessica Lazar’s luminous direction allows plenty of room for the performers to transform their bodies, and our imaginations” There should be more schemes into which wealthy actors, producers and directors can easily pay a percentage of their earnings, to be redistributed. If they want to have a hand in deciding where it goes, that’s fine. If not, I’ll happily run it. We need to have formalised ways of redistributing this kind of money. The other thing I would make compulsory, if I could, is that every company with profits above a certain threshold has to do some arts patronage. Jessica Clark and Rebecca Banatvala reprise their performances with brand new vigour. Directed by Jessica Lazar, Marcus's debut play defies genres: part romantic drama, part psychological thriller, part queer cautionary tale, it's thoroughly gripping. Clark is utterly magnetic in her internal conflict as she is engaging in the lighter, more sardonic exploration of the push and pull of Daphne's sexual orientation. She controls Lazar's traverse, guided by a script that flows with introspective eloquence, perfectly in tune with the comic side even during the darkest points of the show. There are elements of magical realism at work too, as Daphne experiences a connection to nature that, while predating her encounters, comes to the fore as the character endures at the hands of her tormentor. There are allusions to Greek mythology at play here, notably of Daphne and Apollo, but the imagery of a woman encasing herself in tree bark, of lakes full of drowned nymphs, speaks to a history of women being abused for men’s gratification, and the need to constructive a defensive shell to protect oneself.

EK: We commissioned Raf because I knew of Sap and couldn’t take it to Edinburgh that year. I wanted to keep the flames of our collaboration burning. There’s a vicious circle because if you tend towards safer programming, you actually double down on the audience that you already have. You’re going with what’s tried and tested. You are de facto not inviting new people.Work as associate director includes: Emilia (Vaudeville Theatre), Fury (Guildhall) for Nicole Charles; The Cause (Jermyn Street Theatre) for Andrew Shepherd. I have accidentally built this lifeline of writing so it’s something that I am able to take into other mediums within a creative industry. I work other jobs so I can exist in this industry, where there are not enough jobs for the number of people who want to be in it, essentially. Work as Assistant Director includes: Pericles (Shakespeare’s Globe), Romeo and Juliet, The Wind in the Willows (Chester Performs), Boeing Boeing, Afterplay, Love Your Soldiers, The Winter’s Tale (Sheffield Theatres), and The Killing of Sister George (Arts Theatre). Sap is a loose adaptation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a tale of Apollo and Daphne – where Apollo’s obsession becomes increasingly intense and concerning. In the original tale, Daphne’s parents turn her into a plant whenever Apollo comes close. However, in Rafaella Marcus’ debut play Sap at Summerhall, this is reimagined metaphorically and the tale itself is grounded in modern sensibilities.

Award-winning Atticist and Ellie Keel Productions return with a new play based on an old myth, about passion, power, and photosynthesis. A contemporary fast-paced thriller with ancient roots, SAP is directed by Offie-nominated Jessica Lazar ( Anna Bella Eema, Arcola Theatre; Outlying Islands, King’s Head Theatre; Dangerous Giant Animals, Edinburgh Fringe/United Solo Fest New York/Park Theatre). This debut play by Rafaella Marcus is a queer urban fable about bisexuality and what we allow people to believe. Rafaella Marcus is a 2021 MGCFutures bursary winner and JMK Award Finalist, whose work focuses on bringing marginalised voices to the stage, especially women. SAP is produced by 11-time Offie-nominated Atticist, whose previous production Life According to Saki won the Carol Tamber Best of Edinburgh Award, and by Ellie Keel, the Founder Director of the Women's Prize for Playwriting, who was shortlisted as Producer of the Year in the Stage Awards 2022, and has added SAP to her roster of hit shows including Collapsible by Margaret Perry, HOTTER and FITTER by Mary Higgins and Ell Potter, and Reasons You Should(n't) Love Me by Amy Trigg. The production is designed by by Rūta Irbīte with lighting design by David Doyle, Composition and Sound Design by Tom Foskett-Barnes, and Movement Direction by Jennifer Fletcher. Tour Dates Rafaella Marcus is a 2021 MGCFutures bursary winner and JMK Award Finalist, whose work focuses on bringing marginalised voices to the stage, especially women. SAP is produced by 11-time Offie-nominated Atticist, whose previous production Life According to Saki won the Carol Tamber Best of Edinburgh Award, and by Ellie Keel, the Founder Director of the Women's Prize for Playwriting, who this year was shortlisted as Producer of the Year in the Stage Awards, and has added SAP to her roster of hit shows including Collapsible by Margaret Perry, HOTTER and FITTER by Mary Higgins and Ell Potter, and Reasons You Should(n't) Love Me by Amy Trigg. The production is designed by by Rūta Irbīte with lighting design by David Doyle, Composition and Sound Design by Tom Foskett-Barnes, and Movement Direction by Jennifer Fletcher. Tour DatesDirect from a critically acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe, Atticist, Ellie Keel Productions and MAST Mayflower Studios present Rafaella Marcus’ debut play based on an old myth, about passion, power, and photosynthesis.