I had new headshots and full body shots made by Jennifer Evans recently.
She is very good to work with, fair price and a quick turnaround. She is based in Lewisham and you get to do some pictures outside and some inside. I am very happy with the results.
What do you think?
The Witcher 4 is out! It was a pleasure to be part of this scene! Very inspiring acting wise and generally fun 🙂
Watch the episode 3 especially, my favourite character of the Priest is doing an amazing job, just like in the books 😻
Those 3 days in the fields on Farnham were also incredible because of the beautiful location of Waverley Abbey and it’s famous monastery ruins with an ancient tree. Unforgettable memories !
Happy Halloween everyone!
Sword fighting with vikings, punching faces, getting punched, kicking demons, spitting and eating fire , shooting arrows at lost hikers and breaking bones while dancing nicely on the graves of my enemies – that’s me in my full potential 🤣
Enjoy some action scenes from my recent films!
In my reel I cut the scenes from Viking Revenge, Cannibal Troll, Defenders Eternal, and Salty Fist features, from We Bring The Breed dance show, Something Is Coming and Blight music videos, Gold dance show and from some pro clips of performing my fire show.
Let me know what you think!
This last week was absolutely crazy – I filmed my acting/dancing role as Aaliyah on “Resonant Bloom” film by Qinwei Hu and Jingjing Li. Absolute dream of a job with beautiful locations, great crew, brilliant acting partner and a challenging and emotional part.
I also worked as an intimacy coordinator on “Hunger Beneath the Moonlight” film by Francesco Gabriele , such a great team to work with!
Part of the week were also a gig with my band Yavenirie Amok , training my dance solo in a park and a murder mystery event where I played an actress (!) and a suspect in a murder of a famous painter.
Tired but so grateful for a full week of performing.
Also – please sign up to my newsletter if you want to get updates on my adventures :
I am so happy to announce that I have been cast as Aaliyah in the film Resonant Bloom by Qinwei Hu and Jingjing Li.
Filming is underway in some beautiful locations like the Rose Theatre in Kingston where I get to live my dream of dancing on a big theatre stage. The film should be out later this year.
Big thanks to the producer, director, all the crew and my dancing partner Ruby.
Also another announcement – I am playing with my band Yavenirie Amok our last gig this summer in Biddle Bros in Hackney on the 18th of July. It’s a free entry so please come along if you fancy some original mystery rock music.
Hope to see you there!
You are not ready for this!!!
From a behind the scenes still to a poster: DONALD BIT ME feature by Darryl Kelly is coming out this year so brace yourselves!
Great poster art by Brianna Miller!
The film is on a finish line of the post-production.
Written and directed by crazy fantastic Darryl Kelly, the whole thing was shot with amazing cast and crew quite a while ago in south-west London. I will not disclose our location just yet so I don’t give away the plot line but just wait for the trailer 😍
And yes that’s me holding a man-puppet 🙂
Watch this space for more info and sign up to my newsletter for extended behind the scenes updates of making movies and shows, reviews, news and real life talk: zuzatehanu.co.uk/subscribe
I share more via email than on social media!
Also: I am playing a gig with my band on the 29th of June in The Good Mixer in Camden, for more info go to Yaveniriemusic.wordpress.com
Hope to see you there!!
I am changing acting representation!!!
My agent is sadly closing doors of her agency so I had to jump ship pretty quickly 👀.
In this industry you never know what will happen tomorrow. You think you have a solid agent one day and the next they have to close business because it’s so tough out there and you have 2 weeks to find a new agent….
I am very grateful to Mel from Chaos Acting Management for all her hard work and her coaching and support. That’s what happens quite often in this industry – a change. We need to be ready for it.
But this time also the situation is teaching me something new. Last time when I left my agent in very different circumstances I was in a state of panic, I felt like a failure and from this space of mind I sent almost 100 emails looking for a new representation and I had NO positive response. Mel responded to my pity-post on Twitter 🙂 and took me in. I was so grateful because she was the only one who decided to give me a chance in that moment and it helped me just feel better about myself and the industry as a whole.
This time was completely different. From the moment I heard the agency is closing I felt that it’s gonna be alright 💚. I sent around 10 emails and although no one responded I still felt it’s fine and it will resolve itself somehow. Then the day before agency closing came and my dear friend (thank you 💜) when heard I m still without new representation offered to contact his agent. The next day I got signed, it took a 1-minute phone call :-). So I didn’t even miss a day.
Different mindset 👉different results.
I am now represented by Imperial Artists Agency, very honoured to be part of the team and to have Robert as my agent 🥰🥰🥰.
Feeling also very grateful for this smooth transition and looking forward to new adventures 🙏💚💜🖤
Yesterday I was sent a great article – interview with Teodor Dore, the composer of Rachmaninov Variations album on which I read a letter from an Ukrainian refugee.
I am so grateful for the mention and for Teodore’s kind words, this project is very special and close to my heart because of the w*r and the obvious social and political consequences of it all.
Please listen to the whole album if you get a chance:
https://fanlink.tv/rachvariations
The article came just before the World Theatre Day which is also a very special day for me as it took me a long time to call myself an actress and see myself as part of the performance industry. So it’s a good reminder where I got in my journey.
Sending you all warm wishes with a bit of a holiday vibe going on 💚
Tomorrow March the 7th at 2:30pm Uk time I will be live on Quest Radio, on Shrimp Radio program, talking about my band Yavenirie Amok, they will also play our song Fire, tune in!!
Tomorrow on March the 7th at 2-3pm UK time Zuza will be on Quest Radio, on Shrimp Radio program chatting all things Yavenirie Amok, in depth about …
We are live on Quest Radio tomorrow at 2:30pm!!
The album Rachmaninoff Variations by Teodor Dore is out now! New found pieces by Rachmaninoff plus four letters from refugees with the last one on track number 7 read by me 🙂
I had a pleasure of working on this inspiring album last year with a fantastic group of artists, big thanks to Victoria and Teodor for choosing me to read this beautiful and very moving text.
I hope this work brings inspiration and hope for freedom to all!
You can listen to the whole album here:
https://fanlink.tv/rachvariations
From Teodor Dore:
The album that began to take shape in Barcelona in 2022, inspired by the diaries of Sergei Rachmaninoff, was recorded a year later at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. It has now been released under DAG Classical, the largest classical music label in South America.
The album’s launch was celebrated worldwide as part of an international tour. My heartfelt gratitude to every member of the team who stood by me throughout this entire journey!
‘In art, to understand something is to love it,’ Rachmaninoff once wrote. May love and art be the driving force that unites us all!
Producer:@viktoriya_pakhomova6
Artists: @romanlytwyniw @hakangurbuz.bas @kolya_mulakov @velikvelik @daniloalvarez_oficial @AlexandraKenenova @vanya_ivashkin
Thanks to: @bbcradio3 @bbcsounds @bbcnews @abbeyroadstudios @dagklassical
Finally a thorough and in-depth review of our show The World Of Yesterday. I wasn’t even surprised when I read it and saw that the reviewer from the Eastern European Arts platform Izba Arts, on the contrary to many others that came to see our show, was not confused, surprised and resentful by our show but approached it with curiosity, open mind and experience and knowledge of a different types of theatre making.
Eastern European influenced theatre differs greatly from the Western, especially British one and what I often came across in my own as well as other Eastern European theatre works is this incomprehension of the ways it’s made and tools that are chosen to make it. If the story is non linear, even a little bit surreal and varies from a typical script-based story telling it is met with bewilderment and often dismissed. I blame the lack of context, especially historical, cultural but also perhaps low exposure to variety of theatre making in a whole world which would loosen a bit the traditional format through which the Eastern European creators are perceived.
The differences between the Eastern and Western European theatre and the reasons for it are a great subject for a next blog post which is coming shortly so watch this space.
Full review over here:
https://www.izbaarts.com/all-the-bridges-are-broken-between-today-and-yesterday/
We finished The World Of Yesterday play just a week ago and the life is already speeding up, pulling me in so many different directions that it’s hard to stop and reflect on what actually happened that week.
Well we played a show, twice!
The space was small, much smaller than we expected and were used to but we made it work (somehow).
Was it stressful? – obviously.
Was it amazing to be on stage again and become many different characters, and sing and dance, and almost cry, and be part of this moving machine which is the company, even only for one hour – absolutely.
That’s what it’s like in this business.
Often uncomfortable, never perfect, never 100% how we want it to be, always under rehearsed, with lots of pressure, last minute changes and green room dramas.
But we do come back to that place on stage, to that moment, to this feeling. We never have enough of it. Even if we are frustrated – it passes and then we try again and again.
And we dream about big stages with strong lights, full audiences and spatial mirrored changing rooms, we dream about it being our one and only, well paid job.
And we do it underpaid or for free, in tiny cupboard changing rooms, with one mirror for 10 people and one toilet, with 15 minutes at the end for changing, packing costumes and all the set up of the microscopic size stage, we do it anyway, because it’s LOVE.
The World Of Yesterday was a very short meeting of more than 10 talented people with dreams of a life different than their own. People of synchronised passions, of enough space inside themselves to compromise, be patient, let go and handle rejection, and enough energy to keep going, offer their own thoughts and feelings, deal with stress and dramas and still, despite everything, love what they are doing.
Is it incredible ? – yes
Is it impossible? – yes it is.
All actors and other creatives know what I mean but I feel that we are not talking about it enough with the wider public.
With the people who often look at us from an outside, who come and enjoy the show but maybe don’t know exactly how that happens that it comes to life. Who don’t follow us on our every day journey to rehearsals through the chains of tube and trains, through frustration and revelation moments. But mostly trains.
Who often don’t know how many times we wanted to give up, kick this life in a butt and slide into a comfort of a 9-5 bank job.
And how many times we didn’t and all those times made this show happen.
All those times we didn’t give up created a moment for all of us to share on that one evening.
This post was supposed to be about reviews because for many years I chased the reviewers for their feedback, for this star of validation of our temporary creation.
Because I thought that the art to be shown publicly has be GOOD, in opinions of others GOOD. That reviewers needed to like our play, announce it online on their blogs and then it would matter, then we would be welcomed in the circle of artists who are allowed to create MORE.
But that was before, years before even.
Now, after all the effort and life troubles of recent years, I am proud and grateful that we can just DO it, that we can make it happen. I know so many people don’t have that luxury.
Between everyone’s jobs, lack of funding for arts, lack of time and lack of money in people’s pockets to buy a ticket we still managed to create a show in a few months, perform it on a festival and sell it out on the last night.
It’s a success despite what anyone thought about the show. It’s a success because it was made, it had an imprint on our material plane and in people’s minds and hearts and wasn’t, like in so many other cases, just a thought, just an unfulfilled dream and that’s it.
My big and warm thanks to our director Anya Ostrovskaia for making it happen and to all the cast and crew for sticking with her.
~ Zuza
🖤https://ayoungishperspective.co.uk/2024/11/21/review-the-world-of-yesterday-a-cabaret-evening/?amp=1
Last show of The World Of Yesterday is done!! Thank you everyone for coming to watch us ♥️ Special thanks to my friends Malwina and John who came to support me despite the cold weather and middle of the week kind of evening.
Big thanks to the whole amazing cast Adam Hypki, Zora Owen, Yanina Hope, Abraham Kleinman, Tanya Lyalina, Pini Brown and our director Anya Ostrovskaia, producer Jack Carr, designer Shahaf Beer, movement director Mari Camiloti, costume designer Carolyn Corben and photographers Valya Korabelnikova and Lucyna Kaniecka.
Also thank you Paulina Palian Design for the beautiful dress that I am wearing in the show.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to Voila Festival for choosing our show, that was my first time performing as part of the festival and also first time in Camden’s People Theatre.
It was a pleasure working with you all!
I am not sure what are the further plans for the play but I will keep you updated if there are any more performances.
For now – au revoir !
Last two shows of THE WORLD OF YESTERDAY directed by Anya Ostrovskaia are coming to Camden’s People Theatre as part of the Voila Festival on the 19th and 20th of November at 7pm, tickets are almost gone so if you want to come better hurry and get them now 🙂
Get your ticket here: https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/the-world-of-yesterday/
Pictures by Lucyna Kaniecka
I am wearing a dress by Paulina Palian
We are back with The World Of Yesterday by Anya Ostrovskaia in Camden’s People Theatre on Voila Fest on the 19th and 20th of November, get your tickets now if you want to see our show!
Book here: https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/the-world-of-yesterday/
British Urban Film Festival Awards evening was very touching and eventful!
Thank you for the invitation and nomination for the Best Script Supervision for our film The Intruders by James Kentfield, so proud of all the cast and crew!!!
Thank you James and Pat for inviting me to come along ♥️♥️♥️
Big congrats to all winners and nominees!!!!
Our film WE GO AGAIN started a festival run with a selection for Direct Monthly Online Film Festival this month 😍 Big thanks to the organisers and well done to all cast and crew 👏👏👏 More festivals coming next year!!!
We finished our run of The World Of Yesterday on Camden Fringe!!
Big thanks to all the cast Adam Hypki ,Zora Owen, Yanina Hope, Nadav Antman Ron, Tanya Lyalina, Pini, our director Anna Ostrovskaia and producer Jack Carr, movement director Mari Camiloti and costume designer Caroline, it was great working with you!
Also huge thanks you to Liberal Jewish Synagogue and Artfix London for offering their space for rehearsals and to our wonderful photographers @valya_korabelnikova and Lucyna Kaniecka , thank you to Eddie Saint-Jean, @lostintheatreland for reviews and interviews and to The Courtyard Theatre and The Camden Fringe for having us ! ♥️😍🙏
Very grateful to every single person who came to see our show!
We are performing The World Of Yesterday in 3 days!!!
Come to The Courtyard Theatre on the 20-25 at 6pm to find out what is this all about.
Tickets: https://camdenfringe.com/events/the-world-of-yesterday/
Lovely announcement from our production team!
I am playing the Young Woman in our upcoming play The World Of Yesterday based on the writings of Stefan Zweig and directed by Anya Ostrovskaia.
We are performing at Camden Fringe on the 20-25 August in The Courtyard Theatre
Please come to see us in 3 weeks!
Tickets: https://camdenfringe.com/events/the-world-of-yesterday/
Today in a beautiful ceremony we said goodbye to dear Johnny Tait who passed away tragically on the 2nd of July.
Johnny was the writer and director of Naked Truth, the last play we worked together on, his passing cut short our big plans to take it to Bedford Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe and West End.
Stage was his huge love and passion but life had other plans, you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.
Rest In Peace Johnny, thank you for the time we spent together, working on your last play and performing it on stage, grateful to meet you and to work with you. You and your work will never be forgotten!
We paid a tribute to Johnny and his work in my recent interview led by Adrian Doughty – you can watch it here:
I got cast as Young Woman in The World Of Yesterday play by Anya Ostrovskaia, coming to Camden Fringe 20-25 August in The Courtyard Theatre.
Tickets: https://camdenfringe.com/events/the-world-of-yesterday/
From the audition tape to being cast in this political and unapologetic controversial play based on the writings of Stefan Zweig, a play that provokes and rises uncomfortable issues of division, nationalism and hatred that are also so vividly present in our modern times. Come see us!
We wrapped another day of filming of #DJKill in Islington Studios on the hottest day of the year! This time I was doing a movement direction for the fight scenes. It was great to work with our lovely team again Peter Irving, Caroline Oakes, Andrea Rose, Tristan Pretty, DOP Jim Groom and director Anton Makon.
I just got cast in a new theatre project coming to Camden Fringe this August!!! Very happy!
I will reveal all the details together with a poster for my latest film in my tonight’s interview led by Adrian Doughty! Come to YouTube at 8pm tonight everyone!!! Going live in 2 hours! 👇👇👇
We wrapped the filming on We Go Again drama! Our feature is now going into post production slowly taking its final shape.
It was an amazing experience working with Tom and Oliver Jolliffe @jolliffeproductions and with amazing actresses Charlotte Chiew @charlottechiewvoiceover Annabelle Lanyon @annabellelanyon and Amy Jim @amy.jim.actress .
I feel we really made something special, a story about a relationship but also about a neurodivergent people struggling with life and with each other. Watch this space for more updates.
Please watch it and let me know what you think!
So much is happening right now! Our play Naked Truth is opening on the 4th of May in Welwyn Civic Centre and here is a nice little article about us in Welwyn Hatfield Times 😊
Also there will be an appearance of our writer/director Johnny Tait on BBC3 radio this Friday the 19th at 8:20am where he will be chatting about the play and our future plans for it so tune in and buy your ticket if you want to see us before we go to Edinburgh Fringe 🙂
Tickets for the show on the 4th of May in Welwyn Cicic Centre at 7pm: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/civic/t-krljjyr
That is always a question, right?
I played in a show but how did I get there?
I’ve got a Patreon! And I am writing about my acting experiences of getting jobs on various projects and also giving a business of acting advice on how to get them, what steps to take when you are an unknown actor and what mistakes to avoid (which I didn’t :-).
Here is a snippet of the first of series of posts – whole article on
🔥PATREON.COM/ZUZATEHANU🔥
🔥Follow me me for more acting advice :-)🔥
This will be the first of many posts about how to get film roles when you are not a big actor with a big agent who has opportunities knocking at their door every day.
“I am not a big actress. Yet. I have skills and I have potential to do big things and many teachers and casting directors complemented my work. But I don’t have connections or famous family or anyone who could open the career door for me. I have to do it myself and I am working on it everyday. Because even if you are like me – working class, immigrant actor or actress with an accent, you can still get opportunities, you can get jobs and you can act, it’s just twice as hard. But you will if you really love it. I do, I would do anything to act a good part in a film or a play. But you need patience, persistence and hard work. And you need to find that place inside you where the love for acting lies and hold on to it, remind yourself daily why you are doing it. And always remember that moment when you are in a flow of performing and you feel so much alive!
So coming back to the role of Wallis Simpson… “
Zuza Tehanu 