Sophie Swithinbank on bringing Sting to the Young Vic’s Maria Studio
Sophie Swithinbank is an award-winning playwright, celebrated for her bold, crafted work with incisive social commentary. Acclaimed productions Bacon and Surrender have won multiple awards between them, while Beans collected the Sonia Friedman Productions Prize for Best Play in 2024. This season Sophie brings Sting to the Young Vic’s Maria Studio and we’re really excited to get the opportunity to chat with her about this brand new production.
Hi Sophie. Thanks so much for stopping by to chat today. This is a bit of a thrill really – Bacon was such a critics’ play that we’re still talking about it now, several years after its first performance!
Your new work is called Sting – can you tell us something about it and what to expect?
I think Sting is a scream into the void. It has a wildness to it which fills me with energy and adrenaline. It looks at how our justice system has evolved over time, and whether it works any better today than it did in the sixteenth century, when mass witch accusations hysteria gripped the country. In our current social landscape, It feels as though the gap between men and women is getting larger and more dangerous. Sting looks at who is in power, and who is in danger.
What was the inspiration for the play initially and how did you further research it?
The initial inspiration came from a project I did in France with Lisa Lapidge and Jess Tucker Boyd. We were exploring whether women today are persecuted in the same ways women were persecuted during the time of the witch accusations. Further ideas about justice systems, false confessions and coercive control began to attach themselves to Sting, and the play grew into something that looks more widely at institutional failings.
Historically, your shows have used economical but powerful staging to extend the storytelling and better articulate understanding of difficult issues. Does Sting also encourage this kind of focus?
Photo: Barbara Evripidou
I wasn’t thinking about being economical when I was writing this play. I was thinking of being big and taking up space. Sting features a catastrophic fire, magic, two way mirrors, a rabbit and various dislocations from time. Nancy Medina (director) has been working closely with designer Debbie Duru to find stark, intelligent and powerful staging solutions to this very challenging play. Because of everything it demands, we are leaning into the abstract in a way that I find incredibly exciting.
Is it important to include humour in your writing when you are exploring uncomfortable issues?
Humour is completely essential to me, particularly when exploring challenging issues. Without humour, Sting would be terrifyingly dark, and would become inaccessible to many people.
Tell us about the cast you have signed up.
We couldn’t have hoped for a better cast. We have Adelle Leonce (Summerfolk) playing Ash, Phoebe Ladenburg (Surrender) playing Lily and Nick Blood (Twenty Twenty Six) as Dom. I have been a fan of Adelle since I saw her in Anatomy of A Suicide nine years ago. I can’t believe she is now performing in my play! Phoebe and I have worked together a lot in the past and her deep understanding of my writing is allowing her to access multiple layers within the role of Lily. Nick is an absolute dream – his ability to make you laugh and cry in the space of one line is uncanny. And they are all very beautiful.
It’s fabulous to see your work being programmed in the Young Vic’s Maria Studio. How does it feel edging up from fringe venues to this celebrated space, known for championing innovative, challenging productions?
It feels amazing. I feel seen.
Thanks so much to Sophie for taking the time to tell us about this exciting new work. Sting plays in the Young Vic’s Maria Studio from Thursday 18 June to Saturday 18 July.
