Cafe Theatre Productions
preparing
the next productions of
“Far From Fiction”
and
“Intimacy”
“Far From Fiction”
“Far From Fiction” is a play about self‐harm including dangerous sexual behaviours, eating disorders and self-cutting. Two people meet in a place of confinement. It feels like a prison but is, in fact, a rehabilitation centre for people recovering from mental illness. One character is a 70 year old academic white lady who has recently suffered a serious depression. The other is a 20 year old black woman who has been in hospital for self‐harm and an eating disorder. The two women become friends despite cultural differences and the age gap.
A small, professional, fringe theatre company, Cafe Theatre Productions, premiered a play about self-harm. The play addresses the complex relational issues involved in self harm and compares societal influences of today with those of 40 years ago.
It is a powerful play about a difficult subject and it considers ways forward that just might help. The play has been written by Sally Willis, adult psychotherapist, group analyst and adolescent psychotherapist. She specialises in working with teenagers who are self-harming.
Find out more about the performance at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre
Who we are
Sally Willis
Sally Willis, in-house playwright and actor, was a member of the Artaud Theatre Company which later became Café Theatre Productions. Sally brought a new dimension with her spectacular one-woman shows written specially for her by Michael Almaz and toured to universal acclaim in Europe. Her new play, Far From Fiction, re-launches the company founded by Michael Almaz and David Mouchtar-Samorai in 1969. It addresses the growing problem of self-harm among young people in today’s society. Sally, a group psychoanalyst, adult and adolescent psychotherapist, brings her expertise from this field to new cutting edge writing for the theatre.
Pam Martell
Pam Martell, Artistic Director, was introduced to theatre by her husband, Michael Almaz, when she was a student of social psychology at Birkbeck College and working at The London School of Economics. This became a productive professional relationship within the new company. Pam arranged tours around the UK, Europe and the USA and was Art Director for many years. Currently Pam is an activist for children’s rights and focuses mostly on forced adoption, child sexual abuse and bullying in schools. Her other interests are: opposing bullying in the workplace and promoting the human rights and dignity of elderly patients within the NHS and the care system. New plays will address some of these issues.
Tomek Borkowy
Associate Director
Ran Cafe Theatre in Charing Cross Rd from 1983 to 1986. CEO of Universal Arts, Edinburgh.
David Samorai
Associate Director
David\’s work with the ground-breaking, alternative Artaud Theatre Company (later to become Café Theatre Productions) was as a founder member in 1969 – 1973.
Kerry Irvine
Associate Director
Kerry is an independent producer and director. She is the Director of Producer Works and theatreLab. She is a researcher and senior lecturer at Bath Spa University.
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