Podcast: From Russia With Lots of Love

Roxy Cook discusses her debut play, A Woman Walks Into A Bank

This week we are chatting to writer and director Roxy Cook. Roxy’s debut play, A Woman Walks Into A Bank, won the 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award, and is now about to be performed for the first time.

Set in Russia in 2018, it is a look at Russia and the everyday people that we may easily overlook when we currently think of the country. The play’s initial idea came from an incident that happened to Roxy’s grandmother, when she really did walk into a bank, but from there, the story is a work of fiction, exploring the possible consequences of what might have happened to those involved.

A Woman Walks Into A Bank opens at Theatre503 from 21 November. Further information and bookings can be found ⁠here⁠.

A Woman Walks Into A Bank

Theatre503

22 November – 9 December

Moscow, August 2018. The World Cup has just ended, and it has been a roaring success. Free Metro travel. Parties in the square. The police, the ones with guns, they were smiling! People finally saw that yeah, it’s okay over here and no, it doesn’t snow in the summer, it’s actually very warm. And wait, did we mention it was an incident free event?

But when an old woman walks into a bank, she is conned into taking out a high interest loan which she immediately forgets all about. A catastrophic series of events are set in motion…with only her cat Sally to bear witness.

Winner of the 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award, A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK is a powerful portrayal of a country in crisis. Inspired by childhood fairytales, Roxy Cook’s vibrant debut play uses biting humour to interrogate the social apathy tearing Russia apart. How did we get here? How can we get out?

Tickets available here.