'To Whom It May Concern' is an emerging writers night produced and directed by Salt Circle Productions and for this show we have the brilliant Arno van Zelst co-producing with us. The one-hour show consists of monologues around different themes. Tonight’s theme is 'Borders and Boundaries' and will be performed by brilliant London based actors.
This is an evening of letters that were never sent. A night of connection, revolution and power as we hear the voices of 'us', the general public that is often overlooked.
Writers:
Niall McCarthy
Arden Winant
Laura Unger
Writer/Performers:
Robbie Taylor Hunt
Aubrey Lavender
Carmine Tirberini
Lena Liedl
Lisa Peters
Kaja Posnik
Performers:
Marissa Martin
Johnjoe Irwin
Annabel Harb
Directed by:
Xiao Jiao, Jasmine Silk, Greta Rilletti-Zaltieri, Jason Moore. Santiago Guerra, Dan Hardwell, Laura Unger, Erin Elsmore, Elliot Aitkin
Read about our previous 'TWIMC' here
Meet us after the show in the bar and meet up with fellow creatives.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
26th November, 7:00pm at Libra Theatre Cafe, Camden
CAST AND CREW
THE WRITERS
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Niall McCarthy
Writer of 'London Irish Monologue'
Niall McCarthy is a writer/stand up comedian from Derry, currently living in London. His first full length play script was optioned in 2023 and will be performed in July 2025, but his full length debut will be at Theatre503 in June 2025 with a three week run of his play ‘Derry Boys’. His short play ‘Die Trying’ has recently been nominated for the Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing. He has had short plays titled 'Parakeet', 'The Parting Glass', 'Glass Villas', ‘Fatherland’, 'Make Love Not Greenpeace' and 'Star Fish' performed in theatres in London, Newcastle and Bedford. In 2021 Niall was inducted onto the ‘Live Theatre Newcastle New Playwrights course’ and in 2023 he attended the ‘INK Festival Script Writing Course’ hosted by Greg Mosse.
Laura Unger
Writer and Director of '22 Hours'
Laura Unger is a London based writer, director and singer of her band LOLA.
Born in a small town in Germany, she moved to London in 2020 for a semester abroad in Film and TV at UAL and never left.
Besides producing and directing music videos for her band LOLA, she’s currently working on her second short film.
Robbie Taylor Hunt
Writer of ‘British Citizenship Test'
Robbie is a queer writer, director and Intimacy Coordinator. He is a Mercury Theatre Creative (2022 cohort) and undertook sitcom writing training with Sitcom Mission. He's a co-writer on upcoming gothic horror comedy Count Dykula (Soho Theatre). His previous writing credits include: Pansexual Pregnant Piracy (Soho Theatre), Lesbian Space Crime (Soho Theatre), Trisha's Hideous Queers (The Place), Bod (Bunker Theatre), A Queer Anthology of Dating (Southwark Playhouse), Rose (Bread and Roses), and Wife (tour). For screen, his writing credits include: The Queen's Fiddle (taster pilot, longlisted for Shortcom), Brood (webseries), Bed&Bridget (webseries) and Screening (short film). His pilot script was shortlisted for David Higham Associates underrepresented writers opportunity. Robbie’s first fiction manuscript was shortlisted for the Text Prize, longlisted for Hawkeye’s Development Prize, and is currently shortlisted for Penguin’s WriteNow scheme.
Arden Winant
Writer of 'YOU, THEM, US'
Arden Winant (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate creative originally from NYC. She moved to London for grad school and then subsequently got deported three years later, making her the perfect fit for this particular scratch night. Arden is the writer and performer of Bea P. Deigh, directed by Grainne Robson and produced by Salt Circle. The show garnered rave reviews over the last year, earning a Standing Ovation Award Nomination from London Pub Theatres Magazine. www.ardenwinant.com
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THE WRITERS/ PERFORMERS
Lisa Peters
Writer and performer of ‘FIETS'
Lisa (they/she/he) is a performer and writer hailing from the land of cheese and windmills, the Netherlands.
During their time in the Netherlands, they were involved in developing and performing absurdist sketch theatre with theatre collective Theewater, as well as being a part of the cast of Dutch musical "Chez/De/Sans Vous", about the Peace Treaty of Utrecht.
After moving to London in 2019 to pursue a Musical Theatre MA, they performed in HAIR: A Rock Musical. Graduating into the post-covid industry in 2021, they switched careers to being a bicycle tour guide.
Now, after years of writing being confined to journals, notes apps and whatsapp group chats, they are finally ready to share their work: FIETS will be their playwriting debut.
Kaja Posnik
Writer and performer of ‘The Jar'
Kaja is a London-based actress, originally from Poland. She is also a recent Neuroscience graduate from University College London. At university, she has been part of several musical theatre and drama productions at the Bloomsbury Theatre, performed at Teatro Regio di Parma in Italy, as well as discovered her passion for writing, with her debut original monologue 'Love at First Sight'. Kaja is also a member of London Youth Theatre, an alumna of Old Vic's Front Line program, an advocate for women empowerment and is actively engaged in global projects with an impact. Kaja continues to develop her skill as a writer and is excited to present her second original monologue, 'The Jar', in which she shares her experience of leaving home at the age of 16 to pursue education in the UK.
Carmine Tiberini
Writer and performer of ‘What's your name?'
Carmine is an Italian actor based in London with a diverse background in theatre and screen. A graduate of East15 Acting School, he quickly made his mark, appearing in Foals’ music video Wake Me Up and in Internal Iniquity, a play directed by John Greening. Recently, he performed as a lead character in Toxic at the Lambeth Fringe. Carmine was also selected as one of the 15 best emerging Italian actors for the prestigious Young Blood 2024.
Lena Liedl
Writer and performer of ‘The End of the World'
Lena Liedl is an Austrian actor and writer. After studying History and Creative Writing in Vienna and Edinburgh, she trained at East 15 Acting School and the London Meisner Company. Her original play "The Good Women" just toured the UK and Ireland and she just wrapped new feature film. Her other credits include "Spray" (feature film),"Homemaking for Beginners" (Stage) and "A Winter's Tale" (Stage).
Aubrey Lavender
Writer and performer of ‘Swirling and Swirling'
Aubrey Lavender is a British-American writer, composer and performer.
He is the creator of the puppet opera Mazylis ir Karlsonas based on the Astrid Lindgren series, which has been playing to sold out shows for the last year at the National Puppet Theatre of Kaunas Lithuania.
Aubrey has also written music for clients including Harvard University, the London Wildlife Trust and Tesla, Inc.
This year Aubrey premiered two new shows as a writer, his satirical political opera The Cloud (music by Daniel Davis) which was performed at the St. Pancras clock tower and Horse Person Opera (music by Abel MGE) - a comic fantasy about brotherhood, power, technology and centaurs which was included as part of the Tête-à-Tête opera festival.
Upcoming projects include the soundtrack to the film Nndera by Kosovar director Endrit Qarolli.
Aubrey holds a BA from Bennington College, USA and an MA from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
THE PERFORMERS
Along with those performing their own written pieces, we welcome the following performers:
Johnjoe Irwin
Performer of 'London Irish Monologue'
Johnjoe is a professionally trained actor from Dublin, Ireland. He graduated from the MA in Actor and Performer Training at Rose Bruford College, London, with a distinction and has also trained with the Gaiety School of Acting, Dublin, as part of the Advanced Performance Course.
He has a keen interest in Site Specific and Immersive work and some of his previous roles include Petrell, in 'Pains of Youth' (The Master Shipwright's House), Sergeant Sean McGreal in 'SMITE', (The Parabolic Crypt), The Green Witch in Haegtessa Ward (The Archway Hospital) and The Ferryman in 'Do as Thou Wilt', his own Site Specific piece about The Dublin Hellfire Club that he also both wrote and directed.
Most recently Johnjoe worked on ‘Secret Book of Normal’ at The Pen Theatre and two shows as part of the Camden Fringe, portraying Tony O'Riordan in 'Our Brother's in Cloth' at the Cockpit Theatre, and Patrick Murphy in 'Magpie' at The Old Red Lion, which has garnered an OFFCOM Commendation, an OFFEST Nomination and multiple 5 star reviews over the course of its tour this year.
@johnjoe_irwin
https://app.spotlight.com/4137-8945-6602
Annabel Harb
Performer of '22 Hours'
Annabel (she/her) is a French-Lebanese actor based in London who is a recent BA graduate from Mountview. She is also a member of the Paper Notes Improv Troupe who specialise in long-form improv with performances in 2023 and 2024. Credits while training include: Rosaline, Blue Stockings & Boy
Marissa Martin
Performer of 'YOU, THEM, US'
Marissa obtained her MFA from Rose Bruford College in Collaborative Theatre Making, she is passionate about acting in theatre and on screen. Over the past three years, she has cultivated her craft for screen acting, motion capture and weapons work. She loves being apart of projects that push boundaries such as Hello, World which was the first ever interactive motion capture live performance, as well as creating her own work representing her neurodiversity. She has also worked as a professional mermaid, puppet maker and received her BADC certification for unarmed and rapier and dagger. She is currently a secondary drama teacher in East London.
THE DIRECTORS
Greta Rilletti-Zaltieri
Director of 'The Jar'
Greta is a London-based theatre director, dramaturg, and reviewer. She holds a MA in Theatre Directing from Royal Holloway, where she trained with Katie Mitchell.
Greta’s cross-disciplinary practice explores the messy, tragicomic reality of being human – often in the form of feminist and queer stories. Bonus points if they’re bonkers.
Directing credits include In Good Spirits (VAULT Festival), Shepherd’s Warning (McQueen’s Theatre), and And I’ll Blow Your House Down (Camden People’s Theatre). 50% of her brain storage is taken up by musical theatre lyrics, and the other 50% is cats.
Xiao Jiao
Director of 'The End of The World'
Xiao is an award-winning director/producer/writer, based in London and Beijing, working in fiction, theatre, and art. Her storytelling draws from real-life social issues but is often infused with absurd, surreal, and fantastical elements. After studying Producing at the Beijing Film Academy and participating in a co-production workshop in New York Film Academy, she completed her MA in Directing Fiction at Goldsmiths, UK. This diverse background has empowered her to approach storytelling with an innovative and inclusive mindset.
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Jason Moore
Director of 'What's Your Name?'
Training: Arts Educational and City University.
Prior to becoming a director Jason was an actor, appearing in the West
End and working with companies such as the RSC.
Jason recently wrote directed a short film called Perfect Age which he
also wrote.
Theatre credits include Meet Me for the Holidays at the Hen and
Chickens theatre, a new version of A Christmas Carol in Norway which
he also wrote, Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage at OSO Arts Centre,
Landscape with Weapon by Joe Penhall at the Cockpit Theatre and
Agatha Christie’s The Unexpected Guest at the Sidmouth Summer Play
Festival 2022. The UK Premiere of Nicolas Billon’s The Elephant Song
at Park Theatre, Neil Simon’s classic comedy California Suite and
Geraldine Aron’s My Brilliant Divorce both at OSO Arts Centre. Jason
was invited by Paul Taylor Mills to direct The Mating Game and Hugh
Whitemore’s Pack of lies, Summer Play Festival rep season in
Sidmouth, Devon 2023. Thought Virus at The Drayton Arms Theatre
and Rope at The Union Theatre. Jason presented and directed
Beautiful World Cabaret featuring Janie Dee at Union Theatre. Hay
Fever at Theatre Royal Windsor, Deathtrap at Manor Pavilion Theatre.
Future projects include Red Peppers and a new play Aged in Wood at
the Tabard Theatre and Lee, about the artist Lee Krasner at Park
Theatre.
Jason has worked at other theatres such as The Soho Theatre, The
Charing Cross Theatre. Tristan Bates Theatre, The Project Theatre,
Dublin, the Edinburgh Festival etc. Jason is the co-founder of OnBook
Theatre and OnBook Theatre Films with designer and producer Ian
Nicholas.
Dan Hardwell
Director of 'British Citizenship Test'
Dan Hardwell (they/them) is a queer and genderqueer actor, movement director, and theatre-maker. They are passionate about using energy and atmosphere work to strengthen a narrative and transport an audience in to a new world. Credits include: Movement Director for new musical 'The White Rose', Director for a 30-minute play called Sense, and they are currently working on upcoming production 'The Pact' as Assistant Director.
Erin Elsmore
Director of 'London Irish Monologue'
Erin is a Bristol-born director, theatremaker and facilitator currently studying Drama, Applied Theatre and Education at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Starting herself as a performer, Erin's directing practice centers actor-process and using theatre as a tool within community and outreach work.
Her most recent project 'Good Morning', working with spoken word poetry as director and dramaturg debuted in the Act II Festival to a 4* review, praising her work as "charming and thoughtful".
Jasmine Silk
Director of 'Fiets'
Jasmine Silk is a writer and director based in London, and originally from the seaside in Kent. They make work with Cutpurse Theatre, creating adaptations in collaboration with musicians, and have previously directed on several touring productions with Troubadour Stageworks. They recently developed a new original play through the Royal Court's 'plays from ur notes app' scheme and are continuing to develop work which looks at how climate change and our environments impact us through surreal situations.
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Elliot Aitkin
Director of 'Swirling and Swirling''
Elliot Aitken (he/him) is a theatre director and recent graduate of Mountview’s MA Theatre Directing course. His work frequently combines transness, horror and homoeroticism, with accessible practice. He loves queer reimaginings of classic texts and new work with a focus on diverse voices.
He was a recipient of the Leverhulme Scholarship, and recently assisted Forgotten In The Land Of Egypt on tour in his hometown, Lowestoft, as part of the Mango Mentorship scheme in collaboration with the Lyric Hammersmith.
His credits include: Mother of Pearl (Pushback Theatre, Riverside Studios), Ivories (Backstage Theatre), Queer Cowboys (Assisting, King’s Head Theatre), COW (King’s Head Theatre), Company (ADC Theatre) and E.M Forster’s Maurice (Corpus Playroom).
Santiago Guerra
Director of 'YOU, THEM, US'
Santiago is a Mexican playwright and director.
Santiago has written short-form work for The Space and Etcetera Theatres and is working hard on his first long-form play. He also strengthens his skills as a storyteller and drama workshop facilitator at Moving Waves and works as a freelance Marketing Specialist for Creatives. He's excited to learn and grow as a theatremaker by directing the piece "You, Them, Us" for this showcase.
Santiago loves to tutor and sees an exciting future in teaching writing and storytelling, one of his biggest passions. He loves to spread his imagination and creativity and to inspire people to connect with their innate voice. He adores reading, writing, and consuming media. And he's fluent in Spanish, his first language!
BEHIND THE SCENES PEOPLE:
Producers:
Grainne Robson
Arno van Zelst
Special thanks to Libra Theatre Cafe and to everyone who has bought tickets to previous To Whom It May Concerns!
Arno van Zelst
Guest producer
Arno van Zelst is a actor, teacher and machine from Holland. He is joining Salt Circle Productions in creating an international themed edition of their new writers night 'To Whom It May Concern' to open opportunities for creatives from outside the UK based in London
