An all-female panel for my Nuns post-show Q&A at Tristan Bates Theatre. © Peter Jones

An all-female panel for my Nuns Q&A at Tristan Bates Theatre. © Peter Jones

I started this past weekend in a room full of wonderful, talented and inspiring women (and some great male allies) at London’s Tristan Bates Theatre chairing a BOSSY all-female panel after a performance of Robert Luxford’s Nuns.

Thanks to the Dutch Dame Productions’ co-founders Cecile Sinclair and Natalya Wolter-Ferguson, She’s Diverse co-producer Valerie Isaiah-Sadoh and their company for Nuns – including co-stars Gillian Broderick and Rebecca Joy Wilson, director Charlotte Everest and designer Tara Usher – as well as our two guest panellists, inspiring theatremakers Lexi Clare and Natalie Harper.

Nuns is the debut for Dutch Dame, founded just six months ago. And the company is 100% female on-stage and off, including creatives and crew. What can they learn from others who’ve forged the way before them? What can they share from their own experiences to date? And what hope can we all glean from the gender-split of upcoming classes of directors, designers and other creatives?

So much food for thought from the discussion here, and real practical takeaways, vocal support and lots of laughter. One of my favourite moments was when an audience member, a young woman working in a male-dominated industry, marvelled at the notion of working in a room full of women only. How is it different?

‘I walk around naked a lot more,’ Natalya shot back. Brilliant!

Particularly if you’re a woman trying to make your own work in theatre or any other industry, please do watch, share and post your experiences.

Nuns continues at Tristan Bates Theatre until 26 January 2019.

Q&A video

Q&A photos

Event photography by Peter Jones.

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