The Camden Fringe Interviews
Pedro Perez Rothstein on why The Suitcase deeply resonates
Lorna Eleonora Vassiliades‘ The Suitcase: Losing Famagusta is a celebration of belonging and community in which personal history is devastated by history at large. She recreates her childhood in an autobiographical Cypriot diaspora story, exactly 50 years after becoming a child refugee.
We talk to director Pedro Perez Rothstein about why he was drawn to this story as he brings it to Theatro Technis for this year’s Camden Fringe.
Let’s start with an introduction – over to you.
I’m Pedro Perez Rothstein, a theatre director, dramaturg, educator and PhD researcher based in London, and I have the pleasure of directing The Suitcase: Losing Famagusta.
What can audiences expect from the show?
Audiences can expect a heartfelt and deeply personal show that carefully examines the political and cultural complexities of the conflict in Cyprus through the lens of a child and her family. It is a powerful, moving and honest piece filled with nostalgia but also funny moments. Theatre is a collective gathering, and we want the audiences to be an integral part of this journey.
We hope we don’t need to go all the the to Cyprus to see the show?
We will be performing at Theatro Technis, in North London, which is a historical venue rooted in the Cypriot community and a great champion for other diasporic voices. We also want to encourage public conversations during the three nights that we will be performing in the theatre with post-show Q&As on the 13th and 14th August. In the theatre foyer bar and courtyard areas, there will be a room dedicated to an exhibition accompanying the show, featuring writer-performer Lorna’s personal archive of items she and her family took when they became refugees.
What made you want to bring The Suitcase to the stage then?
Lorna and I are fellow PhD Drama researchers at Queen Mary University of London and we both have an interest in theatre as a space for resilience and flourishing, and how the arts can engage with health, mental health and wellbeing. I am an inherently curious artist, and this project gave me a unique opportunity to dive into the cultural histories of Cyprus, which were largely unknown to me previously.
As a migrant myself from Brazil and Spain, I’m very familiar with the overarching themes of the play and that resonated deeply with my own experiences. As a director, I’m passionate about dramaturgies that connect people’s everyday lives and struggles with wider geopolitical narratives and ideologies. These are my favourite elements of The Suitcase.
What is it you hope the audience think after watching the show?
The play is an invitation to reflect on childhood, identity, belonging, memory and loss. It touches upon serious and difficult topics like collective trauma, war and forced migration, which are very current. Yet, by focusing on the perspectives of Lorna as a child experiencing those, we aim to bring joy, freshness and a sense of renewed hope.
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage?
There was an test performance in July 2023, when we did the performance one night for free at Theatro Technis. Since then, we have had time to develop the story and the script further, with excerpts from Lorna’s original childhood diaries from the 1970s. We also incorporated a movement director to the team -Despoina Christianoudi – who has been choreographing the piece with both traditional and contemporary dance elements.
Are there any plans for what comes next after August – for you or the show?
Yes! We’d like to go on tour and take the show to more audiences and we are very keen on taking it to international festivals.
Being Camden Fringe, we all know sets have to be bare minimum, how have you got around this?
Theatre directing is about composition and creating a dramaturgy with all the elements at your disposal: set, props, light, music, visuals, text, etc. Anything that comes up on stage, should have a significance. An object is not just an object, it is a symbol, a metaphor, a stimulus. Having less actually pushes you to find more creative solutions and really explore the layers of meanings of every little everything.
What made you decide to be part of Camden Fringe this year?
We were very encouraged by the good response to the trial performance last year, so this felt like the logical next step.
What words of advice would you give anyone thinking about doing Camden Fringe next year?
Go and see as many shows as you can with an eye on the venues and meeting people within the venues. Talk to the bar staff (they are often involved in theatre), manager, and anyone else you spot. Make connections well before you apply for Camden Fringe. Don’t worry about the obstacles or challenges, you can do this!
Will you be frequenting the bar after your show, and if so, are you hoping people might stay to ask you about the show? .
This happened after the trial performance last year. There were many conversations about history, politics, the migrant and refugee experiences, as well as childhood memories about holidaying in hot countries. We have a Q&A on the 13th about the creation of the show, and the exhibition curator Eleni Chasioti will be present all three evenings to chat about her interest in refugee items and clothing. On the 14th the Q&A focus is Lorna’s personal story. On the 15th as it’s a traditional Greek Orthodox celebration, we might just have to dance!
Can you describe your show as a colour?
Purple or Rose Pink perhaps. Lorna is often wearing those colours in rehearsals, and she wore a pink jumpsuit in the original trial performance.
If budget was not an issue, what’s the one piece of scenery / set you’d love to have in your show?
If we had a more substantial budget for this project, I would travel to Cyprus to do field research and then work closely with a scenographer to build a purposeful set design recreating the essence of Varosha, Famagusta with immersive digital film elements and appropriate light and sound effects.
Many thanks to Pedro Perez Rothstein for taking the time to chat. You can catch The Suitcase: Losing Famagusta when it plays at Theatro Technis between 13th and 15th August.
Further information about the show, the Q&A events and tickets available here.
