Help us bring 'Eva' to Leeds Playhouse
Donation protected
In 2020, my mum discovered a box in my Granny's attic. Inside the box was a goldmine of poetry, plays, short stories and prose written by my Granny's sister, my mum's aunt, my great aunt: Eva Metzger. Over the next year, my mum researched Eva's life and discovered a journey that began in Nazi Germany, travelled through socialist Wales, and ended up in London at the British Intelligence Agency.
In 2021, as we came out of COVID, I brought together a brilliant team of Yorkshire creatives to Research & Develop (with support from Arts Council England) a play of Eva's life and poetry.
In 2023, my family helped to fund 3 test performances of the show: one in a studio in Leeds, one in a community centre in Bradford, another in a secondary school.
Now, in April 2024, a rewritten version of the show is coming to the Bramhall Rock Void at Leeds Playhouse, where the same team will tell Eva's story to brand new audiences.
Which brings me to ask for your help.
Arts funding is a tricky climate at the moment. Like lots of theatre-makers, we were awarded funding for Research & Development during COVID (when theatre wasn't being staged) - but due to increased competition and decreased funding since then, we've been unable to secure funding for the full production. Even with the support of the Playhouse, we are working on a very stripped back budget to re-stage the play this year.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I have put into this project since its inception - both financially and energetically! I set a goal in 2021 to stage the play at Leeds Playhouse, and it is absolute bucket-list territory that it is actually happening.
Can you afford to spare a few pennies or a few pounds to help us stage the play this April? Your generosity will pay for the considerable talents of my creative team, all local freelance artists at the top of their game.
In return, we promise to stage a banger of a play, tell an extraordinary story, and continue to pay forward into the local creative scene. Win-win.
Thank you so much, generous souls xx
Full creative team
Director: Leanne Rowley
Producer: Rachael Halliwell
Sound design: Ed Heaton
Design: Emma Williams
TSM: Jon Chadwick
Writer: Nicki Davy
Performers: Luke Dickson, Kathleen Yore, Nicki Davy
With thanks to Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, Rod Dixon, Red Ladder Theatre Company and Arts Council England.
Organizer
Nicki Davy
Organizer
England