Emma Corrin and Isla Cowan in a rehearsalTom Bevan

As a live medium that attracts so many creative minds and progressive voices, theatre in Cambridge is well placed to break down boundaries and start conversations. Next week’s Corpus Playroom mainshow, SWALLOW, is no exception and is a play that seeks to present female mental health issues and trans experiences on stage. This production will be the first ever amateur production of SWALLOW after Scottish playwright Stef Smith premiered her work last summer at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Told in fragments and bursts of jagged emotion, the play concentrates on three strangers as they struggle with their lives. Anna (Emma Corrin) hasn’t left her house in months and is smashing it up bit by bit; Rebecca (Isla Cowan) is recently divorced and turning her emotional pain into physical harm; Samantha (Georgie Henley) is in the process of self-identifying as Sam. SWALLOW offers nuanced glimpses into these individuals’ lives as they overlap and intersect with one another.

The mental health and anger issues that the two female characters face and Sam’s journey towards some level of self-acceptance as a trans man are evidenced in the characters’ interwoven interactions. These themes seem to have added a healthy challenge for the actors during the rehearsal process. Isla Cowan, playing Rebecca, told Varsity: “Working on this show has been really exciting. Stef Smith's script is phenomenal; it's so rich and resonates on so many different levels. My character is going through a divorce which shatters her world into pieces and the play shows every angle of her heartbreak: the devastation, the insecurity, the bitterness, the acceptance, and finally finding a way to keep living. As with the other two characters, it's an emotionally demanding role, and I've found it challenging at times - but I think that's a good thing!”

Seeking to make the show accessible to all, the production team will be distributing content advice slips to stewards of the production which will be made available to audience members upon request. Producer Tom Bevan told us that “when we chose to put on a play that both directly and indirectly deals with mental health issues, divorce and transphobia, we wanted to make sure the themes are approached with sensitivity.”

He continues: “It is really important that theatre in Cambridge remains brave and continues to put on the types of shocking and emotive shows that it does. At the same time, enabling audiences to make an informed decision before coming to watch a show is key; especially for those who may be triggered by certain aspects. I hope that we, as a theatre-loving university, can take the lead on this for the next generation of theatre-makers and audiences.”

With the play billed as “presenting the extremes of daily life”, director Avigail Tlalim wanted to reassure us nevertheless that the humour of the piece is “effortlessly twisted into the moments of pain, and it makes for a very relatable play.”

SWALLOW promises to be an intriguing production that will leave audiences with plenty to think about.

SWALLOW runs from Tuesday 3rd to Saturday 7th May at 7pm in the Corpus Playroom.