Share This Entry:
The Wasp, our September 2022 production, was Nicola Bache’s directing debut. We spoke to her about her reflections of the play and what it was like working on it.
What attracted you to The Wasp?
When I first saw it I knew nothing about it, and I loved the fact that there are so many twists and turns, where you think one thing will happen and then it’s like “Ah, no!”. It’s just a fantastic play from start to finish, with it being in modern day and two very different characters with scope for each of them.
Do you have a favourite part?
Act one! My favourite part is when Heather presents Carla with the bag of money, because it’s such a pivotal moment. At the beginning the characters are one way, with Heather being all nervous and Carla not giving a toss, and then it all changes. I loved being in the interval and thinking “what’s going to happen next?”.
The play touches on a lot of difficult topics, including bullying and abuse. How do you tackle these as a director?
I was aware there are some hard hitting issues, and we needed to address them as cautiously as possible, but I was more focused on the characters. I have always been hooked on the story, with the clash of their personalities and how that plays out. I am intrigued by why these two women meet, and what happens to them next.
What was it like working with Suzanne and Zoë?
Brilliant! Before starting rehearsals Suzanne recorded herself trying different accents, and I was really touched that she did that. We struggled with the accents, but they’ve been brilliant. Zoë just got it from the word go, and her animation and expression just got bigger and better every rehearsal. They were both just brilliant to watch.
Lastly, what do you hope the audience took away from The Wasp?
I would love it if people came away thinking “Ah, I wasn’t expecting that!”. The play has so many twists and turns, and there’s never a dull moment. And so I hope the audiences left thinking “That was the best play I’ve ever seen”, as that’s how I felt when I saw it.