Helen and Diana probably should’ve worked this out sooner – In theory, they’ve both got their shit together. They’ve graduated uni. Landed busy jobs. Got nice flats. Finding love is the next step, right? There’s just one small problem, Diana’s got a boyfriend.
It begins small. Pre-work coffee dates, stealing kisses in the dark, inconspicuous hand-holding – but things soon escalate, and Helen and Diana have to figure themselves out in the margins of the lives they’ve created for themselves.
A new play about love, queerness and trying to make enough room in your calendar to sleep with your best friend.
Elisabeth Lewerenz and Elizabeth Benbow met at the VAULTS Writers programme showcase in 2019, and we soon discovered a shared passion for telling female-centric queer stories. We are interested in the intersection of feminist and queer theatre. We want to tell powerful, joyful, messy stories of queer female love, with authentic representation and completely unfiltered. How We Begin is our debut play, which has been in development for three years, a story celebrating all things bisexual and exploring your identity.
Antonia Georgieva, co-producer, is a creative producer based in South London with experience working across arts & culture in the UK, the US, and Europe. She specialises in interdisciplinary work, new writing, and adaptations that challenge the dominant mindset with feminist and queer narratives.
Writer: ELISABETH LEWRENZ: FREMDKÖRPER (Brotfabrik Bühne Bonn), THE SILENCED SYMPHONY (Circle Theatre), HOW WE BEGIN (Work-in-progress, The King’s Head Theatre)
Director: ELIZABETH BENBOW: HOW WE BEGIN (Work-in-progress, The King’s Head Theatre), UNENTITLED (Lion and the Unicorn), SWEENEY TODD (Royal College of Music), FRIDAY NIGHT QUEUES (Southwark Playhouse)
Co-Producer: ANTONIA GEORGIEVA: WORK.TXT (Soho Theatre), BOSSY (R&D), MAYBE, PROBABLY (Old Red Lion), THE LAST SUNSET (site-specific), KITCHEN (site-specific), MUSE (Camden People’s Theatre, Tristan Bates Theatre)
Press & Reviews
For HOW WE BEGIN, work-in-progress showing at The King's Head Theatre:
Standing Ovation Nomination 2019, London Pub Theatres
★★★★★ “Refreshing, beautifully written and flawlessly performed.”
Dress Circle Antics
★★★★ “A rarest of rarities”
Diva Magazine
★★★★1/2 “This is a fine, fine piece of work. Funny, tender, heartbreaking, delicately written, immaculately played.”
London Pub Theatres
★★★★ “One hour of sheer delight”
Close-Up Culture
Cast & Creative Team CAST
Talia Pick (she/her) – Helen
Emma Lucia (she/her) – Diana
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Elisabeth Lewerenz (she/they)
Director: Elizabeth Benbow (she/her)
Lighting Designer: Han Sayles (they/them)
Co-Producer: Antonia Georgieva (she/her)