THEATRE | MAY – AUG 2025
Learlike is the first first female-led production to win the European Shakespeare Festivals Network’s Shakesphere competition and will premiere at the York International Shakespeare Festival in May 2025. After our premiere in York, we have been invited by the ESFN to tour this production across Europe until August 2025, performing at:
> York International Shakespeare Festival (UK)
> Craiova International Shakespeare Festival (Romania)
> Verona Shakespeare Festival Fringe (Italy)
> Ostrava Shakespeare Festival (Czech Republic)
> Gdansk Shakespeare Festival (Poland)
KING LEAR REIMAGINED
Recently the UN warned the UK’s levels of misogyny and violence against women are a national threat. UK government reports show that harassment and the threat of harassment lead to self-censorship for 49% to 57% of young women, affecting their freedom of speech and behaviour. Young women are significantly less likely to express themselves, and so, we are creating Learlike.
Learlike reimagines Shakespeare’s King Lear from the perspective of his four daughters (the liar, the follower, the silent one and the fool) as they grapple with their father’s legacy of abuse, power and internalised misogyny. This story advocates self-expression, designed specifically for young women (18-25) who often feel disconnected from classical text due to a long history of misrepresentation. To bridge this gap, we are delivering workshops in community spaces throughout our rehearsal process to inspire young women to reclaim classical narratives, and turn Shakespeare’s words into a vessle for female expression and agency.
HOW TO SUPPORT US
Learlike is currently being made, and any donation (no matter its size) would be much appreciated. Your investment will allow us to pay the artists behind the work fairly, and this is incredibly appreciated and needed in a cost-of-living crisis. We will work our hardest to ensure an inclusive and high-quality experience for young women, as we bring this new production to York, London, and beyond. To donate, click here!
THE PRODUCTION
Running time
Approx. 80 min, no interval
Content warnings
Ageism, Amputation, Death, Emotional Abuse, Gore, Murder, War
Cast
The Liar
The Follower
The Silent One
The Fool
The Land and the Ruler
Creative Team
Directed by
Text
Adaptation
Dramaturgy
Design
Music
Production
Julia Vredenberg
Lucy Doig
Ariela Nazar-Rosen
Amber Frances
Puppetry by the ensemble
Cecilia Thoden van Velzen
William Shakespeare
Cecilia Thoden van Velzen
Lucy Doig
Julia Vredenberg
Cecilia Thoden van Velzen
Greensleeved
INTRODUCING THE CREATIVE TEAM
CECILIA THODEN VAN VELZEN | Director, Writer, Producer
Nationality – Dutch
Cecilia is a director, writer and composer. Her work is focused on the unbelonged and varies from music theatre to opera, often from a sonic perspective. Cecilia’s studied BA Directing at Toneelacademie Maastricht and completed her MA/MFA in Directing Classical and Contemporary text at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has worked with Scottish Opera, The Lyceum Theatre, Imaginate and the International Theatre of Amsterdam.
JULIA VREDENBERG | Actor and Designer
Nationality – Norwegian / Dutch
Julia is an actor, designer and writer, passionate about forgotten female voices. She’s recently worked on the development of new work at the Lyceum in Edinburgh and is writing a play about dementia in women.
Julia did her BA in English literature at Exeter University, before completing her MA in Acting Classical and Contemporary Text at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
LUCY DOIG | Actor and Dramaturg
Nationality – Scottish
Lucy is an actor, theatre-maker and academic researcher. She’s currently exploring feminist theatre in her collaborative doctoral project between Newcastle University and Open Clasp theatre company.
Lucy previously studied Drama and Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London and is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s MA in Acting Classical and Contemporary Text.
ARIELA NAZAR-ROSEN | Actor and Co-Producer
Nationality – Polish / American
Ariela is an actor, producer and educator, focused on female-led stories on mental health. She recently performed and produced her Edinburgh Fringe debut make the Bed and transferred it to New York in October 2024.
Ariela received her BA in English from Wellesley College and continued her studies with her MA/MFA in Acting Classical and Contemporary Text at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
AMBER FRANCES | Actor and Co-Producer
Nationality – Belgian
Amber is an actor, producer and poet. She passionately acts in new writing, as well as classical text. She recently performed in The Knight of The Burning Pestle in Glasgow and is writing her own adaptation of Hamlet, called Not F*cking Hamlet.
Amber holds an MA in Dramatic Arts from LUCA School of Arts in Belgium and an MA/MFA in Acting Classical and Contemporary Text from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.