Meet the Team: Gabriella Gadsby

Our next Q&A session is with Gabriella Gadsby, co-founder of Playful Moon Theatre and actress in Conviction. Gabriella also works with Infinite Experience, is a regular at Pentameters Theatre and recently has performed in We Can See it From Here. Working on both sides of the table with Conviction, here we get to know a bit more about this new project.

Tell us a little bit about how you got into theatre.

I can do the age old story where I spent my whole life performing and acting and dancing but I think it was only when I was in my teenage years that I realised I was quite good at it. I was always going to plays and realised that it was storytelling that was for me. Storytelling, portraying characters and that relation you have with an audience member- how a story can be so evocative, the power behind it.

What was the catalyst into creating Playful Moon Theatre with Rebecca? What do you hope to achieve?

Playful Moon is one of these long project ideas that has finally happened. Rebecca and I have been best friends since we met at East15, which was almost a decade ago. We always wanted to work together as we have very similar taste in theatre and it was just the opportune moment- she has spent years writing this play, which I have been reading along the way and becoming more engrossed in every time. I think for us we wanted to make theatre was relevant. Conviction is a political piece that also taps on feminism and is poignant in events that are currently happening. It felt like a perfect moment for both of us, a mixture of preparation and opportunity coming together.

What are you looking forward to the most in putting Conviction on at Above the Arts?

I am really looking forward to working with The Arts Theatre because they are a fantastic theatre with an incredible programme and reputation. I am also excited to see people’s reactions, especially the feedback and reactions of those from Prague, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Tell us a little bit about your character and your relationship with her.

In many ways my character could be seen as the ‘baddie’ but I think that you should never judge a character. So, with that in mind, I am really looking forward to delving into how the character was seduced into the communist party and therefore how anybody can be seduced into a party. I am interested in how she develops over the play and how her relationship changes with her best friend, leading to the what she does to her. That is a very interesting part of her because it happens to so many people every day and I think people only see the end result and are very quick to judge.

Sum up the show in three words.

Political. Engaging. Evocative.

Why should people come and see Conviction?

Initially I think it is relevant with everything that is happening at the moment. You can tell that everyone is being more politically active and aware, especially a younger generation on social media. An audience should also come and see it as it is our debut play. Between myself, Rebecca and Ria we have years of experience and there is so much passion behind the project- that alone should entice people to come along. Every single person who is involved from the director to movement director to composer to producer to cast has so much love behind the project.

Out of any member of the team, who is most likely to be convicted for a crime?

Me! I can be very impulsive and passionate so it would be for being very outspoken about something.

Conviction is playing at Above the Arts between 3 – 8 October 2016. For more information and tickets visit: https://artstheatrewestend.co.uk/whats-on/conviction/