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.
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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.
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.
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.
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 🙂
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!
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!
One of the roles I am playing in the wartime drama The World Of Yesterday is Theodor Herzl, come to see us perform for just 2 more evenings at The Courtyard Theatre, part of The Camden Fringe, don’t miss it! Pictures by Lucyna Kaniecka
Day 3 of The Camden Fringe is done, 3 shows to go! It’s been an emotional few weeks building up to the Premiere of The World Of Yesterday but now we are more grounded and settled in our show 🙂
I recorded this song with my band Yavenirie Amok Singing: Zuza Tehanu, Guitar: Tomasz Brajter, Drums: Jan Folga, lyrics based on writing of Stefan Zweig, Eastern European arranged folk song
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.
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:
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!
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! 👇👇👇
This Wednesday the 17th at 8pm Uk time I will be interviewed by Adrian Doughty on The Uk Comedy Chanel. We will talk about my life, my work and we will also pay tribute to late Johnny Tait , writer and director of my last play who had his interview with Adrian just a few weeks ago.
Zapraszam serdecznie na mój wywiad na żywo 15go Lipca o godzinie 20:00 czasu polskiego (19:00 w Uk) prowadzony przez Sylwię Kaczmarek z Laboratorium Meisnera w którym opowiem o mojej metodzie pracy i zdradze pare sekretów jak buduje postać i przygotowuje się do pracy nad filmem bądź sztuka teatralna.
Ustaw przypomnienie na YouTube 👆
I will have a live interview with Sylwia Kaczmarek from Laboratorium Meisnera in which I will talk about my work and my preparation for the role in film or theatre. I will also share a few tips on how to build the character and work on the script before going on set, stage or filming a self tape.
The interview will be in Polish but will be available to watch with English subtitles shortly after LIVE.
Last Saturday’s show of Naked Truth in Welwyn Civic Centre was a huge success! Almost sold out, full audience and well received! Check out great pictures below!!
If that’s not going to bring you to our show then I don’t know what will! The Assassin is waiting for you along the rest of the characters of Naked Truth play on the 4th of May in Welwyn Civic Centre, we are opening at 7pm and there are still some tickets left.
It’s only 30min by train from Kings Cross so come along to the beautiful countryside to watch our dark comedy about a modern celebrity culture before we go to Edinburgh Fringe.
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 🙂
I am absolutely amazed to finally announce that I have been cast as The Assassin in “Naked Truth” play written by Johnny Tait.
The rehearsals are underway and after the first shows in Welwyn Civic Centre on the 4th and 23nd June and on Bedford Fringe 22,23 July we are taking the play to Edinburgh Fringe performing 4th – 11th August! My summer is sorted!
Very happy to work with the whole lovely cast and our writer/director.
“All that life can give a man, has been given to him.He left this country.He has known other realms,the sea, some free existence. Me,I remained here.I remained,small and sullen,in a tedium,buried in the heart of this continent”
Martha,The Misunderstanding by A Camus Come to find out about Martha’s story!
I’m so happy to announce that I have been cast in The Misunderstanding theatre play by AlbertCamus in a role of Martha produced by Theatre Collection company.
I’ve been waiting to play such a good part for a long time, my character has so many layers and the story is dark and deep.
Come to see me and the rest of a great cast on stage on the 19, 20 and 21 July in Etcetera Theatre in Camden, tickets are on sale now 👇
Zuza Tehanu 