This week I met up with the talented, deeply impressive, and delightful Sofia Gallucci-Giles, to talk about being a woman in theatre; the theatre industry; and her current project: directing Boys for EUTCO.
Sofia is a second year English and Drama student here at Exeter. At 19 years old, Sofia has a wealth of experience of life in the theatre, including a residency with Frantic Assembly aged 17, directing for Playbox theatre (which has produced stars such as Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner!), 2 years with the Ustinov Theatre School, and writing what Sofia herself described as “terrible play” aged 16, from which she learned so much.
Since coming to Exeter Sofia has been Assistant Director on The Shape of Things and Remarkables which went to Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as writing her own play Fool’s Paradise.
Now Sofia is working as the Director of Boys by Ella Hickson. In her own words Sofia describes the play as “A love letter to your student years, and an elegy to the mistakes you made and the lessons you learned”. The play follows a group of students in their final days of university, and in their minds, their final days of being young.
“They are petrified of growing up. They are stuck between the intense, lavish, lurid scandalous youth of kisses and one-night stands on one side, and the responsibilities of adulthood on the other.”
I asked Sofia why she felt this play was the right project for her at this time, and for an audience in 2020
“The characters are around the same age as the cast and crew, so our perspective is not retrospective but current, real, and honest. I hope that the audience will see a little of themselves in each character, not just students, but the whole audience, as I think the play captures a universal fear of aging which can happen at any stage in life. The play is completely non-judgemental of this fear, it acknowledges that fear of change is normal.
Human relationships are so at the heart of this play, and this human connection is so effective in the theatre – the audience can see the actors’ eyes and hear their breath.
The play also discusses an instance of a young man’s suicide. In 2020 this is as relevant as when the play was written in 2011 – there is an ongoing epidemic of mental health issues, and male suicide.”
As the Director of this play, I asked Sofia what the experience has taught her so far
“It is so important to me that the actors feel it is our show, and the process is collaborative and open whilst at the same time maintaining my own authority. I’m learning how to balance all this wonderful creativity in the room and steer it in a productive way.”
I wondered if Sofia had felt that this integrity in the theatre had ever been undermined because of her gender, on this or any project
“I think so – I have struggled in the past in acting and production roles and I’ve voiced to others that I think it is because I’m a girl and people often have scoffed at this. I don’t think it’s ever been intentional, but I can feel it’s a thing: I will give suggestions in a meeting and be ignored and then the same suggestions made by men and listened to.
If cast or crew have emotional problems they will normally seek out me or another girl, whereas for logistical things they’ll ask a boy.
You know you are in a smaller group – just look at the director nominations at the Oscars this year (no women were nominated for best director in the 2020 Oscars.) But I’ve experienced wonderful camaraderie among women directors and so much support for each other.”
I asked Sofia what she hopes to see change in the theatre industry (she answered quickly and passionately)
“The promotion of underrepresented voices, sexualities, races, genders – people who probably have the most powerful and important things to say! And also accessibility – more people need to be able to see and make theatre, not just those wealthy enough to.”
As our conversation turned in many directions Sofia began to tell me about an idea she had for a future project, surrounding the current events happening to migrants as they attempt to enter Italy. Sofia described haunting images that she rightly insists “Need to be seen. But sometimes it is difficult to tell these stories – so verbatim is an interesting approach, to give a platform to these voices and tell these stories.”
We discussed female-lead productions which had particularly influenced or impressed Sofia
“I saw the Royal Shakespeare Company’s King John at the Swan theatre, directed by Eleanor Rose. King John was played by a woman, and while the character was still a man the costume was femme in presentation. It was such an interesting portrayal of a Shakespeare, exploring gender expression.
I recently saw Chekov’s Three Sisters at The National, it had been adapted to be set in Nigeria in the 1960s, and the entire cast were from Nigeria originally, this was also directed by a woman (Nadia Fall) who really got to grips women’s experience under male control. It shed light on history we have never been taught about.
Aged 15 I saw Revolt She Said, Revolt Again which presented sexuality to me in an entirely new way.” You can see Revolt She Said, Revolt Again by Alice Birch in Term 3, (another EUTCO production with two female directors!)
Boys will be performed this term so keep your eyes peeled for dates! Boys can also be seen in Edinburgh as part of the Fringe Festival 17th-29th August!