An Agile approach to playwriting with sensitive material
Wormholes is a multi-award-nominated play about domestic abuse.
The best way for me to write this play was through an iterative approach, where I could develop the text using audience feedback and the feedback of survivors of domestic abuse.
I expanded the monologue to a 50-minute script and organised a rehearsed reading of the play at The Other Palace, with the help of a director and actor. Audience gave feedback via email and in-person. Feedback was positive so we knew we were on the right track. We also invited theatres to see the reading and one of them wanted to programme the play.
I started with a ten-minute monologue – a rough idea of what the show might look like. I submitted it to competitions that guaranteed feedback and I sent it to trusted readers, including a journalist for the Times and a multi-award-winning playwright. They said it was worth pursuing.
There was a hitch - I now had to fundraise to put the play on. I organised a Kickstarter campaign, clearly stating the objectives of the show (to demonstrate the slow drip-feed of abuse in an abusive relationship via an artform that will move audiences to action). The project received about £6k in backing. This was further proof we had a project that people wanted to see realised.
We had a theatre, we had a creative team, now I had to workshop the text with real survivors of domestic abuse. I set up with a partnership with Refuge, the UK's biggest domestic abuse charity.
Over the course of two separate days the actor performed the script for two groups of survivors and I conducted sesitive sessions to feedback on the text. (The individuals pictured have given permission to be photographed).
In order to make the survivors feel comfortable, I gave them several choices for how they gave feedback which included chatting in a group, speaking to us privately, doodling, drawing, writing during or after the session. We had an option to 'Time out' if the workshop became to intense at any point. I worked with two trusted individuals from Refuge to check the process and had them on hand during the workshop to support the women.
What we found was the survivors already felt connected to the story and felt an ownership of it. This gave me confidence that we were ready to show it to a wider audience.
I worked with Refuge to identify groups of survivors who had enough distance from their abusive relationships to be able to reflect on their experiences.
I hired more staff and Wormholes, the play, ran for three weeks at the Omnibus theatre in Clapham. It garnered five star reviews and was longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize, an Off West End Award (Offie) for Best Play and the actor won Best Performance at the Offies. We are now working on a tour in 2026 that will involve workshops and Q&As with women's groups throughout the country. We keep learning as we go.
THE RESULTS
In 2023, 48,800 women and girls in the UK, were tragically killed by intimate partners. This alarming statistic underscores the critical importance of recognizing and addressing the early warning signs of abuse. Wormholes accurately depicts these red flags, highlighting the urgent need for a future life on a wider platform. Ensuring that this message reaches a wider audience is not just important - it's vital for preventing future tragedies and saving lives. I’m now using the feedback from the show to organise a UK tour, involving groups that support survivors across the UK.
“The play was absolutely amazing and something I will truly remember forever. Breathtaking, emotional, unforgettable. As a survivor of domestic abuse, I felt very emotional watching Victoria and taken aback at how similar our stories were. It is a great way to highlight abuse and spread awareness.”
Jodie Harris - survivor, Refuge and Women’s Aid Ambassador
“Wow. Just wow. I was utterly gripped. It was just brilliant - moving and funny and brave. It was such an accurate portrayal of domestic violence and coercive control. An important piece of work. Really, it is fantastic.”
Dr Sam Akbar - works with abuse and torture victims