Lisa Langseth’s “The Woman Who Turned Into a Tree” has arrived at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham and will continue until 22nd April.
The play, shortlisted for the New Diorama Untapped Award 2023 reworks the Ancient Greek story of lead character Daphne, who is played by Bathsheba Piepe.
The play is Langseth’s UK writing debut and tells a story about isolation, identity and a destructive obsession with the opinions of others.
Daphne is looking to reinvent herself in a world governed by toxic masculinity, but with no support network, plummeting mental health and growing paranoia, she gradually loses touch with reality.
The show is directed by Emily Louizou, movement direction by loli Filippakopoulou, set and costume design by Ioana Curelea, lighting design by Amy Hill and music composition by David Denyer.
Piepe said: “For an actor, when you open a script like this one, it’s so exciting because there is so much to explore.
“Lisa Langseth is a phenomenal writer and to be given the freedom to work on the text is such an honour.
“Emily is absolutely phenomenal to work with. She’s a dream actor’s director and I feel so comfortable working with her.
“It’s been a really interesting challenge to play Daphne. I usually play quite nice characters but at first glance especially Daphne seems quite unlikable.
“To do the character justice I’ve got to let her jagged edges be as jagged as they are and not try and smooth over the dark and complex parts of her character.
“I hope the audience will enjoy the liberation that Daphne experiences, and I’m sure the audience will leave with a feeling of hope and liberation.”
Langseth added: “I am so happy that Daphne’s story is coming to life in London through the caring hands of director Emily Louizou.”
Louizou said: “I am thrilled to be presenting it to London audiences, alongside a great team of very inspiring female creatives. We invite you to this epic tales of self-discovery: a challenging journey towards self-love and self-acceptance.”
You can pick up tickets here.
Image Credit: Eleanor Grice
