EK: I learned so much about theatre producing with that series. Audio has to work a bit harder to reach people. We had to be really careful of what we commissioned and the development process on each of those pieces, because at every stage it could lose its resonance. I was much more on point than I had ever been in the hurlyburly of producing fringe theatre. I had more time and focus. Rafaella Marcus’ script is bursting at the seams with beautiful imagery and metaphor. Her protagonist is instantly likable and painfully relatable in her awkwardness and charming candor as she navigates her relationships, her work and her feelings of displacement. The plot is reminiscent of its source material, but stands strong as an independent piece of writing, throwing it’s themes into present day and in the context of today’s social climate regarding the queer spectrum. Bisexuality is often dismissed or erased in theatre, so to be able to witness a piece of writing that is so honest and empathetic to its subject matter is gratifying. From Atticist and Ellie Keel Productions, this hit play is a queer urban fable about bisexuality and what we allow people to believe, in a world where The Song of Achilles meets Killing Eve. Drawing inspiration from the myth of 'Daphne and Apollo', SAP is a contemporary, fast-paced thriller about passion, power, and photosynthesis. Marcus’ script is full of metaphors and lyrical lines, at times it does feel slightly too metaphorical, perhaps due to the short run time of 70 minutes and how dialogue heavy these parts of the script are. I also would have preferred a solid and more satisfying ending to the play. Jessica Lazar’s direction is faultless, allowing the performances to be at the forefront of the production and ensuring the momentum is sustained throughout. The asides to the audience are a great touch and make Daphne more personable, although there are moments where these feel slightly uneven, as though one-half of the audience can see her facial expressions, and the other half is not. Credit: David Monteith-Hodge Writer Rafaella Marcus comments, Seeing the reception to SAP's Edinburgh run was one of the most moving experiences of my life, and I'm thrilled that we now get to bring the show to audiences across the UK. The opportunity to tour and share ideas nationally is an essential part of our cultural lives and I'm grateful to every venue that has opened their space to this strange, mythic play. I can't wait to share the extraordinary talent of our cast and creative team in new theatres, with new people, and I hope anyone who needs to sit with the play's story of liberation, power, and transformation will be able to do so.

Lazar has her kiss the soon-to-be girlfriend tenderly after having previously engaged in an intense balancing act with the man. It's a striking summary of Daphne's precarious equation. From the poetic elements of the writing and its visual allegories down to the staging and performances, Sap is a gem. 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 is a tough truth with theatre and art in general that it has never been able to wash its own face, or exist as a purely commercial venture. It has actually always required more money going into it than will come out. So art must be subsidised to exist, which means that decisions to cut government funding for art are ideological. Breffni Holahan in Collapsible by Margaret Perry at the Edinburgh fringe in 2013. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/the Guardian Work as associate director includes: Emilia (Vaudeville Theatre), Fury (Guildhall) for Nicole Charles; The Cause (Jermyn Street Theatre) for Andrew Shepherd.RM: Yeah, because of where I am in my life. I got married recently, am thinking about having a family, and it gets to a point where you feel you love this job so much because when theatre is good there’s nothing else like it. But I do want to be able to live. 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.

Rafaella Marcus is a 2021 MGCFutures bursary winner and JMK Award finalist. Her work as a writer & director focuses on new writing and bringing to the stage marginalised voices, especially women. She is currently developing new self-penned play Sap, and writing new audio drama for Big Finish TBA. Produced by: Atticist, Ellie Keel Productions & MAST Mayflower Studios, in association with 45NorthRM: I know it’s been said before but I don’t think I ever want to stop saying it: there’s been enormous pressure on freelancers. Performer, Rebecca Banatvala, skillfully multi-roles as work colleague, girlfriend and guy. There’s a real symbiotic energy between the two performers who can with the flex of their bodies, or a single expression convey passion, fear, disappointment or distance. 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?” Her counterpart, Rebecca Banatvala, effectively multi-roles as every other character, most notably the girlfriend and ‘the guy’. She is able to produce such distinctive characters with only minor changes in body language and voice. The characters are likeable too, people we are familiar with, these aren’t archetypes, making it all the more sinister as the story progresses. They’re toxic in their own way, the script able to understand the nuance and subtlety of being able to use a lie to maintain power, without coming across as a villain from the beginning. The two work incredibly well together, whilst Banatvala plays the supporting role, her presence commands so much attention. The common semantics of trees appear throughout; the title itself and recurring themes of roots, planting her in the ground. Mentions of decay and trees overtaking a house, almost like nature is overtaking. These moments, along with more conversation-like script work well together, the poetic descriptions of her being ‘rooted’ into the ground in fear help the audience understand her psyche. Moreso, they help her deal with what is going on, she’s able to distance herself from the situation and focus on what her body is feeling- almost like a defence mechanism.