People, Etcetera Theatre
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Anna Manuelli, best known to UK audiences for her recent role in SAS: Rogue Heroes 2, by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, now brings to the stage a bold and intriguing solo performance. Here, everything changes – timelines, contexts, choices, personalities. The only constant is the face, carrying the same questions and the same insatiable search for meaning.
We caught up with Anna to find out more about her show, which will be playing at Etcetera Theatre on 28 July and 4 August.
What can audiences expect from the show?
This piece explores a range of themes. The characters and their stories are driven by thirst for justice, desire for power, love, search for meaning. It raises many questions, and the tone is evocative and thought-provoking. It’s a flow of consciousness that travels through different lives, all connected by the same questions—despite being separated by time and space.
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
Yes, this will be the first time I’m bringing People to the stage, and I’m very much looking forward to it.
What was your inspiration behind the show?
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of doppelgängers – people who might share the same face. Complete strangers, and yet, they have something as personal as a face in common. When you meet someone who looks very much like you, you feel a certain sense of connection. At the same time, each face reveals something beyond the actual features – something absolutely unique. This is where the idea for this show came from: to try to portray the hidden thread that links all human beings, who, despite very different experiences, share the same strange adventure of existing. The fact that the characters share the same face in the play symbolizes this inseparable bond.
How long have you been working on the play?
I began writing it a few months ago. It was a very liberating and joyful process. As an actress, I’m used to giving life to other people’s words – which is something I love – but this time, I was the one creating the words. I had complete freedom to follow my ideas wherever they led. Through that, I discovered a deep passion for writing.
Is this version how you originally envisioned it or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
The core of the text hasn’t changed much since the first draft. The characters and their stories emerged clearly and have remained much the same. Over time, I’ve worked on shaping the overall structure more coherently and refining the details.
How challenging has this role been for you?
I think this is the most challenging show I’ve taken on so far. I portray a number of very different characters, each with unique personalities and life stories, so yes, it’s very demanding, but also incredibly exciting.
Are there any plans for what comes next after the show has finished its run – for you or the show?
I’d love to take it on tour, and I also plan to perform it in Italy, in its Italian version.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
One of the most meaningful pieces of advice I’ve received came from a teacher at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, the drama school I attended in Rome. She once told me: “Consider your voice as a gift to be given to others. The focus is the other, not yourself.”
It’s a beautiful concept to always keep in mind.
Thanks to Anna for telling us a little more about People. The show plays at Etcetera Theatre on 28 July and 4 August.
