BLACK SWANS

Presented by Foreign Affairs
by Christina Kettering
Translated by Pauline Wick
Directed by Ria Samartzi
Would you trust a robot to take care of your elderly mother?

Two sisters face a difficult decision: how to best care for their elderly mother as her health declines. Rosie, a humanoid care robot, seems like the perfect solution. But soon they have to reckon with the unforeseen consequences of bringing an artificial intelligence into their lives.

Black Swans explores the ethical and moral dilemmas of introducing AI into human caregiving, offering a poignant (and often humorous) look at family dynamics, societal norms and the pervasive influence of technology on our lives.

Christina Kettering‘s award-winning play examines the intersection of AI, healthcare and the challenges of caregiving through a female lens. It prompts questions about the boundaries of AI and the essence of compassion in our increasingly digital world.

Black Swans (Schwarze Schwäne) achieved notable recognition when it was first produced in Germany in 2019, winning first prize at the Heilbronn Drama Competition as part of the Science & Theater festival. It gained further prominence by securing a spot in the 2020 EURODRAM Selection, and has been translated into five different languages.

Black Swans was translated into English by Pauline Wick as part of the Foreign Affairs Theatre Translator Mentorship programme in 2020/21.

Black Swans and its engagement programme are funded by Arts Council England and Unity Trust and supported by the Goethe-Institut London and East London Dance.
The production is presented in arrangement with DREI MASKEN VERLAG GmbH München

Foreign Affairs is a micro theatre company with an adventurous spirit, run by the creative duo Camila França and Trine Garrett.

Their work focuses on theatre in translation, cross-cultural exchange and collaboration, and performance in unconventional spaces. Or, in other words–they bring theatre from around the world to local communities.

Learn more about Black Swans, the people behind it and the themes it explores.

Join post-show talks on Thursday 25 April, featuring the creative team and Thursday 2 May exploring AI, robotics & healthcare. 

Participate in Foreign Affairs’ intimate Theatre Salon on Sunday 5 May, led by a guest artist, for lively discussions and new perspectives.

For industry professionals, a networking event titled: Women in Theatre, will take place on Friday 3 May.

All events are free for ticket holders! Stay tuned for further updates.

23 APR-11 MAY
7:30PM TUES-SAT
4PM SUN
£18 STANDARD
£16 CONCESSIONS
£10 PREVIEWS

BLACK SWANS

Presented by Foreign Affairs
by Christina Kettering
Translated by Pauline Wick
Directed by Ria Samartzi
Would you trust a robot to take care of your elderly mother?

Two sisters face a difficult decision: how to best care for their elderly mother as her health declines. Rosie, a humanoid care robot, seems like the perfect solution. But soon they have to reckon with the unforeseen consequences of bringing an artificial intelligence into their lives.

Black Swans explores the ethical and moral dilemmas of introducing AI into human caregiving, offering a poignant (and often humorous) look at family dynamics, societal norms and the pervasive influence of technology on our lives.

Christina Kettering‘s award-winning play examines the intersection of AI, healthcare and the challenges of caregiving through a female lens. It prompts questions about the boundaries of AI and the essence of compassion in our increasingly digital world.

Black Swans (Schwarze Schwäne) achieved notable recognition when it was first produced in Germany in 2019, winning first prize at the Heilbronn Drama Competition as part of the Science & Theater festival. It gained further prominence by securing a spot in the 2020 EURODRAM Selection, and has been translated into five different languages.

Black Swans was translated into English by Pauline Wick as part of the Foreign Affairs Theatre Translator Mentorship programme in 2020/21.

Black Swans and its engagement programme are funded by Arts Council England and Unity Trust and supported by the Goethe-Institut London and East London Dance.
The production is presented in arrangement with DREI MASKEN VERLAG GmbH München

Foreign Affairs is a micro theatre company with an adventurous spirit, run by the creative duo Camila França and Trine Garrett.

Their work focuses on theatre in translation, cross-cultural exchange and collaboration, and performance in unconventional spaces. Or, in other words–they bring theatre from around the world to local communities.

Learn more about Black Swans, the people behind it and the themes it explores.

Join post-show talks on Thursday 25 April, featuring the creative team and Thursday 2 May exploring AI, robotics & healthcare. 

Participate in Foreign Affairs’ intimate Theatre Salon on Sunday 5 May, led by a guest artist, for lively discussions and new perspectives.

For industry professionals, a networking event titled: Women in Theatre, will take place on Friday 3 May.

All events are free for ticket holders! Stay tuned for further updates.

23 APR-11 MAY
7:30PM TUE-SAT
4PM SUN
£18 STANDARD
£16 CONCESSIONS
£10 PREVIEWS

Black Swans | Rehearsal Gallery

Photo credit: Ellie Kurttz

Black Swans | Trailer

Video by Rich Rusk Film

Cast

Camila França

Actor & Creative/Producer

Camila França (she/her) is Co-Artistic Director of Foreign Affairs, a small theatre company based in east London that focuses on translation, intercultural exchange, collaboration and performances in unconventional spaces. Originally from Brazil, Camila trained as an actor. Her passion for bringing untold stories from a far to local audiences has led to her co-producing and directing many of the company’s artistic and creative programmes. Camila leads the company’s outreach programmes and is passionate about working with local communities. Recent producing credits include: The Wetsuitman (Arcola & Rose Lipman Building) and Where I Call Home(Rose Lipman Building). Camila flourishes in her multifaceted role, adeptly juggling various responsibilities. She occasionally seizes acting opportunities such as The Blind One & The Mad One in 2018 and 2020 by Brazilian playwright Cláudia Barral, translated and directed by Almiro Andrade.

Trine Garrett

Actor & Creative Producer

Trine Garrett (she/her) is Co Artistic Director of Foreign Affairs, a pioneering theatre company in east London dedicated to bringing world theatre to local audiences through translation and multicultural exchange and collaboration. Hailing from Denmark, Trine’s journey began as an actor but pivoted towards producing and directing upon co-founding Foreign Affairs. Her directing credits include: The Wetsuitman by Freek Mariën, translated by David McKay; Where I Call Home by Marc – Antoine Cyr, translated by Charis Ainslie; and
The Warmhouse by Anna Bro, translated by Paul Russell Garrett.

Beyond directing, Trine also continues to perform on stage, most recently in The Blind One & The Mad One alongside her artistic partner Camila França, directed by Almiro Andrade. As an experienced teacher and workshop facilitator, Trine leads the company’s creative learning programmes. She runs masterclasses and workshops rooted in the company’s practice for other companies and organisations, most recently for the Royal Court Theatre, Cut the Cord Theatre, and BCLT: British Centre for Literary Translation.

Christina Kettering

Playwright

Christina Kettering studied creative writing at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig. Subsequently, she organised readings and events and was actively engaged in cultural and political education work. Her plays have garnered numerous awards and are performed at various municipal and state theatres as well as independent stages throughout Germany. One of the main focuses of her work is an interdisciplinary approach, closely collaborating with artistic teams. She is particularly interested in exploring connections between text and other art forms such as dance or graphic novels. Herplay Schwarze Schwäne (Black Swans) won first prize at the 2019 Heilbronn Drama Competition as part of the “Science & Theatre” festival and has been translated into several languages. Most recently, she wrote the libretto for a music theatre performance for young audiences at the Deutsche Operam Rhein (composition by Sergej Maingardt). She resides in Berlin.

Pauline Wick

Translator

Pauline Wick is a German translator, transcreator, and conference interpreter for English, Spanish and German. She currently works for the Goethe-Institut London (as of July 2023), promoting German as a foreign language through a DoE-funded initiative for multilingualism at British schools. Having obtained a first-class degree in Multilingual Communication at the University of Applied Sciences Cologne, she continued her studies with an MA in Conference Interpreting at the same institute. In 2020, Pauline successfully completed the Theatre Translator Mentorship programme by Foreign Affairs, translating an excerpt from Black Swans into English. Since then, she has been commissioned to translate three more plays into English, including TIME OUT by Christina Kettering, and joined the German EURODRAM committee on plays in translation in 2020.She has lived and worked in Colombia, Spain and England, collaborating with the Finborough Theatre (London) and Cut the Cord Theatre (London). She combined her interest in theatre and intercultural communication to work as a cultural programme coordinator for theatre and performance at the Goethe-Institut in Mexico City.

Ria Samartzi

Director

Ria Samartzi is a UK based director, dramaturg and performance maker from Greece. She looks for strangeness in the familiar and the epic in the everyday. Her background is in movement, developing new work and collaborative practice. A long standing collaborator with Foreign Affairs Theatre Company, she has worked with them on several projects, most recently as production dramaturg on The Wetsuitman by Freek Mariën (Rose Lipman Building & Arcola).Other credits include: associate director onDUALدوگانهby Peyvand Sadeghian (Edinburgh Fringe, Camden People’s Theatre & HOME), R&D director on Baghdaddy by Jasmine Naziha Jones (BOLD Studios), dramaturg on Bourne by Megan Smith (VAULT Festival 2020), director on Unterstadt- The Story of an Osijek Family by Ivana Sojat and Stlako Sviben in a translation by Valentina Marconi(Rose Lipman Building), associate artist on The Brownie Clubby Jessica Lucia Andrade (Jackson’s Lane).

Amy Daniels

Lighting Designer

Amy Daniels (she/her) is a London-based freelance lighting designer, with occasional stints as a technical stage manager. A lover of theatre since she can remember, she studied English Literature at the University of Sussex, then fell in love with all things production during a year abroad at Stony Brook University in New York. She was the technical manager at Camden People’s Theatre from August 2018 until September 2022, during which time she focused her practice from technical management towards production lighting and lighting design. She works on a wide range of performance, with an emphasis on the political, the playful and the pondering. Find her full credits and portfolio on her website: amydanielslighting.com.

Jovana Backovic

Composer/Sound Designer

Dr. Jovana Backovic (she/her) is a Serbian born composer and performance artist based in London, U.K. Her main interest lies within the field of improvisational electroacoustic and electronic music performance and composition, and how they can help facilitate transition from oral tradition to authorship. Her sound has often been described as cinematic. As well as composing for theatre, feature and documentary movies Jovana performs as a part of duo ArHai that have been touring the UK, EU and the Balkans extensively. Duo has two releases, ‘Eastern Roads’ (2013) and ‘Where Light Resides’ (2019).

Nastazja Domaradzka

Dramaturg

Originally from Poland, Nastazja Domaradzka is a feminist theatre-maker and director. Her work has been presented both in the UK as well as internationally. Credits include Orpheus Descending(National Theatre of Albania), Grate (National Theatre of Kosovo)The Shadow Garden(Teatri Gjilan), CACEROLEO and DUAL (Vault Festival). Nastazja was assistant director to Omar Elerian on his production of The Chairs(The Almeida) and As You Like It (RSC). In 2022 she curated a migrant led project NO BORDERS at The Royal Court. She also works extensively in various UK drama schools

Ruth Newbery-Payton

Associate Producer

Ruth is a theatre-maker with a strong background in devised and physical theatre, including directing alongside Rich Rusk (Gecko). She worked with Katla Theatre Company on Mary & Mietek (Movement Director, London 2021; Producer & Engagement Programmer, London 2022; Producer, Reykjavik Fringe & Ukraine Fringe 2023). Work with Zoo Co includes support work meeting varied access needs and most recently stage managing Night Shift(Stanley Arts) including ensuring backstage accessibility. In 2022 she attended Draamamaa Weekend in Estonia and the Kosovo Theatre Showcase as an invited UK creative alongside representatives of 20+ other countries

Lauren Wedgeworth

Assistant Production Manager & Technical Stage Manager

Lauren Wedgeworth is a theatre maker with experience in stage management and directing. She has previously worked with Foreign Affairs on The Wetsuitman at the Arcola Theatre. Other recent credits include: Hir (David Adkin and RJG Productions),The House With Chicken Legs (Les Enfants Terribles) and Project Dictator (Rhum + Clay). She has experience in touring, research and development and community-led projects.

Maria Laumark

Engagement Coordinator

Maria Laumark (she/her) is a producer, theatre-maker and facilitator with a passion for devising, new writing and international collaborations. She is the Artistic Director of the award-winning Katla Theatre Company which recently toured Mary & Mietek to Reykjavík Fringe and Ukraine Fringe. Maria is currently working with Zoo Co as Assistant to the Artistic Director and Creative Associate(shows incl. Perfect Show for Rachel at the Barbican, Night Shift at Stanley Arts and Risky Business with Zoo Co’s Young Company)Maria has also worked with companies such as Royal Court Theatre, Cut the Cord, The Old Vic, Omnibus and has worked in Denmark, Sweden, Ecuador, Poland and Croatia on international projects.

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Concessions

Concessions apply to students, under-18s, over-60s and more. For more info on our concession policy click here→

Accessibility

All performance spaces and facilities are fully wheelchair-accessible. For more info please contact Box Office on 0207 498 4699.

Ticket Collection

We operate a paperless box office system. You will be emailed a receipt once you have booked in advance. There is no need to print this off, just state your name at the box office on arrival.

Café Bar

Serving a menu of hot drinks, craft beers, wine and seasonal cocktails before and after every show and a full home-made food menu including freshly baked pastries, delicious cakes and savoury light bites from Friday – Sunday.

Content Warnings

Strong language

References of a sexual nature, alcohol abuse and physical abuse

Infrequent descriptions of/references to covert administration, death and an act of lethal violence.

Note: As the show is in development, please be aware that content warnings may be updated.

Age Recommendation

14+

Duration

1h10m

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