Athena Stevens Archives - North West End UK

19May

By Holly SewellNo Comments

London

Diagnosis – Finborough Theatre

Athena Stevens commands the stage in the world premiere of her new play, Diagnosis, playing at the Finborough Theatre. In a dystopian London police station, a woman with a disability, S/he (Athena Stevens), is questioned about an alleged assault against a stranger. In accordance with new procedural law around ‘vulnerable individuals’, she is taped, watched by an audience through a one-way mirror, and forced to be taken seriously - or that’s the idea. In reality, the endless red tape acts less as a support system than as a distraction from the truth of her story. The set is immediately eerie. There is one window, blinds drawn, through which an ominous red glow seeps into Juliette Demoulin’s dark interrogation room. A camera on a tripod records and projects onstage the entire questioni...

The Diagnosis – The Fizzy Sherbet Podcast

The new series of the Fizzy Sherbet Podcast launches with The Diagnosis, an audio play written by Athena Stevens. Directed by Anna Girvan, it tells the story of a remote-working London Underground security worker, played by Lizzie Annis, who monitors her area from home using drone cameras. One day she can suddenly see the cause and date of people’s future disabilities floating above their heads. Any attempts she makes to help people are ignored, but the consequences of her efforts change every aspect of her life regardless. The play is followed by an interesting Q&A with the cast and crew, exploring the origins and themes of the piece and the role of activism in today’s society. The play opens with Annis speaking to the police about a shocking incident, which has a long story. Her s...

Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels – Finborough Theatre

Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels, written by Athena Stevens and directed by Lily McLeish, looks at relationships between women and how these are affected by their relationships with men, romantic or otherwise. A series of asides, presented as 28 separate episodes, it tells the story of 1 (Evelyn Lockley) whose boyfriend is best friends with A (Athena Stevens) and what happens after 1 sends him a topless photo which he casually shows to A. Due to the way the sound has been edited, it is beneficial to watch the piece with headphones. A subtitled version is also available. The piece opens with 1 looking at herself in the mirror and commenting on her appearance, including the faint wrinkles she has noticed have started to appear. A fan of presenting her ideal reality on Instagram, s...