Adaptation: Enough Already
A play for women who do too much and the men who love them.
Q & A with Dr Gabor Maté & Mary Daniels
Universal Hall, Findhorn, Friday December 1st
Porcelain tea cup
10 cards & envelopes
THANK YOU to everyone who came to the play in the magnificent Universal Hall at Findhorn in December and now those who gathered in London's Jacksons Lane Theatre on March 7th.
"Adaptation: Enough Already" seems to be taking on a life of its own. We are listening outwardly and inwardly to know where it wants to go next. So please speak up if you're hearing an inner calling to have the play in your city, town or company, or have other intuition about its future.
THANK YOU EVERYONE.
Your response continues to be deeply gratifying.
Sam, Ella, Tim, John and the team.
"Breathe" water bottle
Enough Already Mug
Adaptation: Enough Already
Inspired by the work of Gabor Maté, Nkem Ndefo & others, this is a play for women who do too much and the men who love them. It's a reminder that it's never too late to get in touch with our deeper desires, our repressed intuition and the creative wellspring that resides in all of us... and that doing so may just save us from getting sick. The play asks why women account for 70-80% of autoimmune diseases and questions the relationship between emotions, the roles we're given in life and our mental and physical health.
We explore our attachment to old patterns and outdated mental models that, in the ragged spaces between earning money and the demanding monotony of family life, argue with the growing inner need for authenticity and self-expression. The latter are stymied at every turn by convention and social norms and we see the protagonist wrestling with her desire to break free of these constraints, in the quest for a more meaningful life - and perhaps even a saner world.
Written, produced and performed by Samantha Graham
Director Hannah Calascione
Original music written by Ella Sabine Mehlberg & Dave Till
Originals & covers performed by Ella Sabine Mehlberg
With Will Sharp on bass and Ffion Aynsley on percussion and cajon
Immersive projection by John McGeoch
Resolume, sound and lights by Tim Flood
Sound engineering by Darren McGhin
Original artwork by Deborah Brill
The Journey of Adaptation So Far
First draft "script" created February 19th 2023
Edinburgh Fringe August 14th - 26th 2023
Something possessed me and the play started writing itself between 4-7am most mornings, as well as on trains all across Scotland, particularly on the east coast line, something you will see in the play itself... hard to explain what came over me, but I reached out to Ella, the brilliant musician, Tim the fabulous sound and lighting guy, and John the amazing projectionist and something viable appeared to emerge, despite complete lack of experience in writing, acting or producing.
Oh my God, we're in Edinburgh. What???? Thank God for Nick and Megan and all the crew at the house in Albert Terrace who made the madness of an Edinburgh Fringe completely glorious! What a time-stopping experience being a part of the craziness but with a home base to come back to that was just a haven of "welcome".
December 1st 2023, Universal Hall, Findhorn Ecovillage
Phew! We were overjoyed by the community's response to the play - a standing ovation that took us all by surprise!
What Next for Adaptation?
What might 2024 look like for the play...
International Women's Day March 8th 2024
Could it be performed regularly in London (since we're here for a bit), Edinburgh or Glasgow as part of the Equity, Diversion and Inclusion movement, bringing a heartfelt, below-the-defences way in to the conversations we most need to have.
We did it!! Performed the play at Jacksons Lane Theatre in London! Thank you to Dr Gabor Maté, Mary Daniels and everyone who made it possible!
By December 2024... how many people might have experienced it.... let's see what happens next!?
Once you've seen the play, I'd love to hear from you as to what you think might be its path forward, out into the world. God knows we need to be doing things differently, whether it's how we do DEI, or how we educate our teenagers about what's ahead for them. Or is it about explaining the impact of social norms on women's health in ways that can lead to unusual conversations that take us to entirely undreamt of outcomes, those that skip the box-ticking and move us towards better ways of being together.