Critically-acclaimed memoir of care, crisis and Eurovision.“I wish I could say here our story starts. But this story starts later, and ended earlier. Is entirely fictional, and completely true. Voila.”
In 2021, Hannah Maxwell moved back to the Home Counties to care for her terminally ill grandfather. But this show isn’t about that. It’s about France’s Eurovision star Barbara Pravi, who’s just lovely.
In between cooking, cleaning and Countdown, Maxwell escapes into an intensifying fantasy of ballroom dances, heartfelt ballads, Parisian cafés, fluent French and definitely-not-creepy plots to engineer a meetcute with a random foreign celebrity. It’s La La Land meets Mission Impossible meets Hannah’s nan.
Combining spoken-word, video and chanson francaise, NAN, ME & BARBARA PRAVI sits you down at the kitchen table to talk through grief and care, addiction and recovery, and hope and coping in unprecedented times.
A solo storytelling show from the award-winning creator of I, AMDRAM. Commissioned by Camden People’s Theatre and supported by Menagerie Theatre Company, Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Live Art Yorkshire, The Vaults and Old Diorama Arts Centre. Made possible by generous support from Arts Council England.
Winner of the Summerhall Lustrum Award 2023
Nominated for the BBC Popcorn New Writing Award 2023
Nominated for 5 DarkChat Awards 2023, inc Best Show, Best One Person Show, Best Actress In A Play, Best Play & Best Music Performance
PRESS
***** "A masterclass in storytelling." (Time Out)
**** “Delightful and clever” (Scotsman)
***** “Watch it and its appeal is obvious.” (Financial Times)
***** “An outstanding production, beautiful, funny and sad.” (Scottish Field)
***** “You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll be glad you are alive.” (DarkChat)
***** “Douze points across the board.” (Theatre Weekly)
**** “Maxwell’s writing is electric, witty and charmingly delivered.” (The List)
**** “A warm-hearted, insightful and inspirational exploration of the need to care – for others, and for ourselves.” (ToDo List)
“Delivered with consummate comic timing and a final knockout punch.” (Lyn Gardner's Picks of the Week)
Creative Team
Written and performed by Hannah Maxwell
Producer: Becky Plotnek / Plotnek Productions
Dramaturgy: Annie Siddons
Performance Direction: Len Gwyn
Technical Stage Manager: Ruth Green / Benji Huntrods
Technical Design & Lighting Design Consultant: Jo Palmer
Costume & Set Design: Rachel Gammon
Sound Design: Juan Luis Casanellas Donoso
Video Design: Livvy Lynch
Choreographer: Daniel Hay-Gordon
Animation: May Kindred-Boothby
Touring Operators: Graham Self / Benji Huntrods / Ryan Lester
Lead Image Photography: Christa Holka
Lead Image Digital Post-production: Anna Fernandez
Voiceover: Angela Dunham (Hannah’s Nan)
Content Advisory
References bereavement, terminal cancer, care provision, substance abuse, addiction and sex under the influence of drugs.
Moments of audience participation.
Foodstuffs present onstage.
Some flashing lights, strobe-like projection effects.
This is an Out There Queer Fest Event
https://out-there-exeter.com/
Event Venue
Barnfield Theatre, Exeter, United Kingdom
Tickets
