SURRENDER Will Have London Run Ahead of Edinburgh Festival Fringe

HFH Productions has announced a play set for a London run ahead of Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer. Surrender by Sophie Swithinbank in creative partnership with Phoebe Ladenburg will be on at the Arcola Theatre between 19 June and 13 July. This follows Sophie and Hannah's collaboration on the smash hit play, Bacon which was presented at the fringe festival last year. NANCY MEDINA will associate direct Phoebe Ladenburg in the one woman play, with the production arriving at Summerhall in Edinburgh on 1 to 26 August.

 

The creative team is completed by Movement Director Jess Tucker Boyd, Sound Designer Dominic Brennan, Lighting Designer Stacey Nurse and Costume Designer Pam Tait.

 

Hannah Farley-Hills, Executive Producer of HFH Productions, said: “I am delighted to be presenting Sophie's next show and to be working with both Phoebe and Nancy. Surrender is a powerful story that asks bold questions about what society asks of women. I am full of pride and excitement to showcase it to the world.”

Mother is in prison. Daughter – from whom she has been estranged for 13 years – has come to visit. Closely watched by security personnel, they have 1 hour.

 

As unreliable as she is charming, Mother recounts her version of events, knowing this is their last chance to reconnect. Along a blurry journey of sleep deprivation and abandoned love, we discover the true reason for her imprisonment and ask: how can you keep a hold of yourself when you're forced to get lost in your keeper.

 

Surrender looks at the system of social care, which catches people in its web – often saving lives – but in this case, things may have fractured beyond repair. Once a parent has been flagged in the system, a murky trail of mistakes and malpractice is logged… and there is little chance to turn back the clock. 

 

Inspired by Kate's journey into obedience in ‘The Taming of the Shrew', Surrender interrogates expectations of submission within motherhood.

Biographies

Phoebe Ladenburg is a multi-award-winning actor, director and theatre maker. Her directing/ dramaturgy credits include Clown Sex for stage and audio (nominated for two Off West End Awards, Vault Festival People's Choice and winner of an Independent Podcast award), The Journey (4*, Pleasance Theatre), The Bacchanals (4*, Mikra Theatricals), Bacon (Clapham Omnibus, Arcola Theatre, Nick Hern Books), The Superhero (Lyric Hammersmith) and Hot Wheels (British Youth Music Theatre). Her acting credits include Baby Shower (Turtle Canyon), Passing (Bunker Theatre) and Nine Weeks (Arts Theatre). Her performance as Linda in Tuesday (White Bear, Nick Hern Books) won critical acclaim. She won Best Actress at the 2024 Tokyo International Short Film Festival and was nominated for the Spotlight Prize in 2015.

 

NANCY MEDINA is Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic, taking the role in 2023. In Oct 2023 she directed her first production for the theatre, a revival of Tarell Alvin McCraney's Choir Boy.

As a director, her credits include The Darkest Part of the Night (Kiln Theatre), Moreno (Theatre503), Trouble in Mind (National Theatre), The Half God Of Rainfall (Fuel / Birmingham Rep / Kiln Theatre) The Laramie Project (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Two Trains Running (Royal & Derngate / ETT / RTST), Strange Fruit (Bush Theatre), Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), When They Go Low (NT Connections / Sherman Theatre), Yellowman (Young Vic), Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It (GB Theatre), Curried Goat And Fish Fingers (Bristol Old Vic), Dogtag (Theatre West), Strawberry & Chocolate, Dutchman (Tobacco Factory Theatres) and Persistence Of Memory (Rondo Theatre).

She is a recipient of the following awards – 2024 Genesis Foundation Prize, 2020/2021 Peter Hall Bursary (National Theatre), 2018 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award (Royal & Derngate/English Touring Theatre), 2017 Genesis Future Director Award (Young Vic) and 2014 Emerging Director's Prize (Tobacco Factory Theatres). She was a visiting director at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and was joint Artistic Director and founder of the Bristol School of Acting.

 

Sophie Swithinbank is a multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter, based in London. She is the 2023 winner of the Peggy Ramsay/Film4 Award. Sophie's play Bacon (Tony Craze Award Winner 2018) ran at Finborough Theatre in 2022, to critical acclaim, winning three Off West End Awards. Bacon toured the UK, Melbourne and New York in 2023–24. Sophie is currently on attachment at The National Theatre, developing a new play, Beans. For theatre her credits include Even in Arcadia (longlisted for Verity Bargate Award 2020), Circle Game (Southwark Theatre, shortlisted for Phil Fox Award 2020), Where There Is Smoke (National Theatre Learning), Come Inside (Bush Theatre) and The Superhero (Lyric Hammersmith). For TV: BACON (developed with NBC Universal) and L/OVER (MTV Finland). For film: Body Broker (developed with Eleven/No Ordinary)

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