A performance as last resort

How does an actress who has to play the role of a raped woman night after night feel? Anna Paavilainen knows how. Hauntingly, she describes her own experiences at the Finnish state theatre and allows the public to share her feelings: shame, anger, pride and protest all come together in her fighting spirit. Using situational comedy, she allows the audience feel the theme viscerally, describes how some colleagues were rougher than others and reveals the revenge fantasies that plague her – what if her acting partner were to suddenly slip on a banana peel?
Play Rape is a portrait of a young actress who has had enough of playing the female victim. With plenty of humour, Paavilainen questions the hierarchies and power relations in the theatre and opens up a debate that has been a long time coming.
Post-Show Talk 18.06.

Watch the trailer