Cold Threats
A play directed by Than Hussein Clark, with The Director’s Theatre Writer’s Theatre
About the Show
Inspired by Gay Sweatshop’s 1979 anti-fascist Iceberg, The Director’s Theatre Writer’s Theatre presents their newest production, Cold Threats, at London Performance Studios. Part concert, part reenactment, and part living newspaper, Cold Threats extends Gay Sweatshop’s investigation of living with the threat of fascism into the hard times of the precarious present, and continues The Director’s Theatre Writer’s Theatre’s investigation into the imbrications of theatricality and histories of queer liberation.
The Director’s Theatre Writer’s Theatre
The Director’s Theatre Writer’s Theatre is an international ensemble of actors who work under the artistic direction of Than Hussein Clark. They have devised scripted performances together for the last seven years and performed large scale productions in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States, primarily within the confines of the contemporary art world. Their performances have taken place in museums, galleries, theatres, and various site specific locations. Their work draws on continental post-dramatic aesthetics, queer theory, Meyerhold, and Grotowski, however these modes of operation are applied to ‘classic’ narrative situations, drawn from melodrama, serials, and classic dramatic texts.
Dates and times
Sat 16 July, 2.30pm
Sat 16 July, 8.00pm
Tickets
“Pay What You Can” tickets available here
Location
Studio 1, London Performance Studios
For more info on how to get to London Performance Studios, click here
Simon Callow (left) with Michael Dickinson in Passing By in 1975
Running Time
1hr 30mins
Suitable for Ages
Suitable for ages 15+
Trigger Warnings
Please be advised that this performance contains
Flashing lights
Loud noises
Violence
Adult content
You can find our trigger warnings, click here
The Cast
Lisa Heinrici
Born in Cottbus in 1990, is an actress and performance artist. She completed her acting training at the University of the Arts in Berlin (2015).
Directed by Hermann Schmidt-Rahmer, she made her debut at the Schauspiel Essen. After that, freelance projects followed at Theater festivals, at Ballhaus Ost (Berlin) and a permanent commitment at the Theater in Koblenz. Among others, she worked with the collective Talking Straight, Das Helmi and Glanz & Krawall. In 2015 she co-founded the group virtuelles theater. As a freelance actress she recently worked at Schauspiel Stuttgart NORD, the Theater Discounter (Berlin), Lichthoftheater Hamburg and Künstlerhaus Mousonturn (Frankfurt am Main).
Under the name Baby Marcel, she founded her own musical pop project, in which she tells stories from her social media filter bubble. Baby Marcels last shows took place at Roter Salon Volksbühne (Berlin) and at Hau 1 as a part of the Taboriawardceremony. Since 2019 she is part of the directors theater the writers theater.
Markus Bernhard Börger
Markus (b. 1991) is a german actor. From 2013-2017 he moved to Vienna to study acting at the Max Reinhardt Seminar Wien. He has since starred in contemporary plays such as „Hose Fahrrad Frau“ ( D: Holle Münster) at Volkstheater Wien and Akademietheater Wien, „Lebensmenschen“ (D: Isabel Sedlak) at Theater Drachengasse Wien and „Der Himmelblaue Herr“ which was directed by his own company Childhood:Destiny at Kasemattentheater Luxembourg. He also starred in a solo piece called „Oh Schimmi“ at Schauspielhaus Wien which was running for 2 years. Markus Bernhard joined his first theatre production with Than Hussein Clark in 2014. This work includes plays like „This is it or Dawn at Bar Bazhuka“ at MIT LISTE Boston or “Nonent for Selma Vaz Dias“ at Flageys Brussels. He is a member of The Director’s Theatre Writer’s Theatre for eight years now.
On Screen, Markus Bernhard Börger appeared in „Für Jojo“ (D: Barbara Ott) which premiered at Filmfest München 2022 and in „The Vagabonds“ (D: Doroteya Droumeva) which premiered at Festival de Cannes in 2022.
Malwina Kajetańczyk
Malwina was born in Zielona Góra in Poland, in 1988. She is a graduate of The Ludwig Solski State Drama School in Cracow, Wrocław branch. In 2019 she started a new study in Warsaw Film School, specialisation Film And TV Production Organisation. Since 2012, she has been involved in artistic projects in Poland and abroad ( The Pool's Edge or Gstaad Will Never Change , performance directed by Than Hussein Clark. Swiss Institute/Contemporary Art, New York -US, A Summer's Rest "Je T’aime Mont Blanc", Villa Design Group, LISTE Art Fair Basel- Switzerland , Chamber Music for Europe (Nonent for Selms Vaz Dias), directed by Than Hussein Clark / Brussels Gallery Weekend / Belgium.)
After studying for two years she worked for The Grotowski Institute in Wrocław as an actress and researcher. 2015- 2020 she was working at the Mask Theatre in Rzeszow. 2021- 2022 she was working at Baj Theatre in Warsaw.
Since 2017 she has been producing and performing during Rise of Eastern Culture Festival – the European Stadium of Culture in Rzeszów, Poland (International performance art projects: Red Rexen Temple. The Show, directed by Ira Nirsha; Tableau Vivant- Żywy Obraz, by Mike Hentz, Syreny, by Malwina Kajetańczyk, choreo by Natalia Wilk, Hotel Meduza, theatre show directed by Ira Nirsha). She produced her first feature documentary movie “DAL” in 2020.
Florence Dobson
Florence, a northern actor from the Lake District, currently based in London, graduated from RADA in 2021 with a BA in Acting, where she was the first recipient of the Tony Warren Drama Student Bursary. She has also received the James Westaway Award. She has performed in a number of theatrical works at RADA including Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant (Devised), The Seagull, As You Like It, Ion, The Busie Body, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, and Ararat 2.0 at the RWCMD Young Actors Studio.
Since graduating, alongside rehearsed readings working with Tristram Powell and Honor Bowrick for Jewish Book Week, on screen she has appeared in the short films Hamlet NW5 (Trapstar) and Venus Flytrap directed by Beru Tessema, and her television work includes appearances in the Netflix series Jewels and the US Channel 5 drama Compulsion directed by Noreen Kershaw.
Andy McCredie
Andy has worked as an Actor in the UK, Germany and Switzerland, and recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art(2018-2021) with a BA in Acting.
In 2016 he founded Redgates Theatre, from which he supported over 250 artists through its Gateways programme, and directed/produced 8 live events between 2017-2019.
His second award-winning short film, Sometimes They Sing(2021), won Best Film at Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival 2022, Semi-Finalist at Lonely Wolf International Film Festival 2022, and was Nominated for Best Film Score at the International Sound and Music Festival in 2021.
His photography is centered around people. Alongside his strong portfolio of headshot photography is his first photographic publication, ‘Our People’ which was published in a limited run of hardback photo books in 2021.
He is currently resident at Art Hub Studios Woolwich, and is developing his artistic practices from a studio there.
Laura Schuller
Laura is an actress living in London. She started working in theatre in 2010 at the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, Germany.
In 2017/18 she did an MA in Acting at Rose Bruford College. She is recipient of the Jean Benedetti Award 2018.
Productions include: Death at Five O’Clock (London Performance Studios 2022), Meet Me in St.Louis, Lewis! (Centre Pompidou 2019), Alexa, Play. (Vaults Festival 2020), The Near Room (Film, dir. by Sophie Cundale 2020), In Alphabetical Gardens (Radio play by Than Hussein Clark 2020-on going), Said The Assassinations (Club Silencio 2017) Three Types of Wind in Trieste (Schwankhalle Bremen 2018 Germany) Yes Yes, All The News That’s Fit to Print (Parcours Art Basel 2017)
Creative Team
Than Hussein Clark
Director
Than is a visual artist and a founding member of Villa Design Group. He is also a member of the editorial board of Montez Press. After studying acting in Los Angeles and art history in Edinburgh and London, he completed a BA in art at Goldsmiths in London, and an MFA at the HFBK in Hamburg. Recent shows include A Little Night Music (And Reversals) at CRAC Occitanie in Sète, The Paintings of Selma Vaz Dias at Damien & The Love Guru, Meet Me At St. Louis, Lewis! at Centre Pompidou Paris, Stage for a Theatre on Mars at PLATO Ostrava, L'isola dei Baci (Disappearing Acts) at Kura Milan, School of Pain at Art in General, New York, and His Leftover Heart (Pauly et Cie) at Galerie Crèvecoeur Marseille.
Alex Margo Arden
Costume
Alex has costumed Than Hussein Clark's productions since 2017. Previous projects with him include: Death at Five O'Clock, London Performance Studios, London, UK; Chamber Music for Europe (Nonent for Selma Vaz Dias), Flagey, Brussels, Belgium; Meet Me In St. Louis, Lewis!, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; Three Types of Wind in Trieste, Schwankhalle, Bremen, Germany; Yes Yes, All The News That’s Fit to Print, Parcours, Art Basel 2017, Basel, Switzerland; Love at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Kunstnernes Hus Kino, Oslo, Norway; Said The Assassinations, Club Silencio, Paris, France. She recently did costumes for Rosie Hastings & Hannah Quinlan's performance 'Portraits' at Centre Pompidou, Paris, France.
Kat Black
Dramaturgy
Kat is a freelance editor, researcher and dramaturg based in London. She is currently a researcher in the Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies at Birkbeck University, and an editor for forthcoming publications with Sternberg Press, Serpentine Galleries and Paraguay Press.
Ben McQuigg
Music
Ben completed a Masters degree with Distinction in Musical Direction at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts after graduating in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southampton.
Music Director credits include: Thrill Me (Jermyn Street Theatre), Cinderella (New Royal Theatre, Portsmouth), Medusa (Above The Stag, also Arranger and Composer of Additional Music), When This is Over - R&D (Company Three, also Composer), The House of Worth (Goldsmiths University), The Trail to Oregon! (The Other Palace Studio & Edinburgh Fringe Festival, also Arranger)
Assistant Music Director credits include: Henry VI: Rebellion, Wars of the Roses (Royal Shakespeare Theatre), Assassins (Mountview Backstage Theatre)
As Keyboard player and/or Rehearsal Pianist, credits include: Moulin Rouge! (Piccadilly Theatre), Waitress (UK Tour), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (UK Tour), A Chorus Line (Leicester Curve)
Ben was also the Music Assistant for the UK premiere of Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Piccadilly Theatre) and the world premiere of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (UK Tour).
Benjamin Slinger
Set and Lighting
Benjamin is a visual artist, set designer and arts consultant. Working across the visual and performing arts, they have designed and produced plays, exhibitions and installations in major institutions across Europe and North America including The Pompidou Centre, MIT List Visual Arts Centre, Schwankhalle Bremen, CRAC Occitanie, Frieze London, Frieze New York.
James Neville
Sound
James is a multidisciplinary sound and media creative based in South London. James’s work as a writer and professional musician in a globally touring band underpins his performance based approach to music production, composition and sound design. His studio Teeth Studios in Norwood junction has a plethora of new and vintage music production equipment all carefully tuned to the process of creating unique and invigorating sonic experiences. He has designed sound for a number of The Director’s Theatre Writer’s Theatre projects, including Death at Five O'Clock, London Performance Studios, London, UK; Chamber Music for Europe (Nonent for Selma Vaz Dias), Flagey, Brussels, Belgium and Meet Me In St. Louis, Lewis!, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France.
Maya Yoncali
Movement
Maya trained as a Contemporary Dancer at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (2015 - 2018), and then went on to train with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company Dance Journey Program (2019). As part of her training at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2021 - 2022) on the MA Movement: Directing and Teaching, Maya taught BA1 Actors in stamina classes, as well as the BA1 Collaborative Devised Theatre Students (CDT) in Dance. Maya has most recently (2022) Movement Directed Death at Five O’Clock, directed by Than Hussein Clark. She heavily implements her skills in Movement Directing within Photography and Filmmaking. Maya’s film Sometimes They Sing is the winner of Best Short Film at Manchester Lift-Off International Film Festival 2022 and will be screening in London in December later this year.
William Ashton
Documentation
William is a freelance photographer, videographer and creator. Currently documenting the creation of the Iceberg production.