Two aftershow discussions are announced for the acclaimed West End transfer of Philip Ridley’s Vincent River at Trafalgar Studios.
Both are free to that evening’s ticket holders to attend.
The first, on June 4, hosted by Terri Paddock of Stage Faves, will discuss issues in the play and the dramatic rise in hate crime. Since 2014, attacks on London’s LGBT+ community have almost doubled, according to figures from the Metropolitan Police. Will Mayrick was a victim of hate crime on the Tube in October 2017, choked and threatened with a knife and being forced by his attackers to apologise for being gay. He now hopes that sharing his story will help other homophobic and transphobic attack victims to come forward.
The panel also features Emma Miller-McCaffrey, Community Engagement Manager from Diversity Role Models, who create safe spaces where young people can explore difference and consider their role in creating a world where we all feel accepted.
The second discussion on June 12 will feature the production’s award-winning producer Danielle Tarento in conversation with playwright Philip Ridley, discussing Vincent River and his other works Vincent River is running at Trafalgar Studio 2 until 22 June.
Who are Diversity Role Models?
Diversity Role Models actively seeks to embed inclusion and empathy in the next generation. Our vision is a world where everyone embraces diversity and can thrive. This will help create a world where future generations embrace, accept and support difference. Our mission is to create an education system in which every young person will know they are valued and supported, whoever they are.
What do they do?
They create safe spaces where young people can explore
difference and consider their role in creating a world where we all feel accepted. Their student workshops feature LGBT+ or ally role models who speak openly about their lived experiences, building young people’s empathy so they can understand the (
often unintended) impact of their language and actions. In order to ensure sustained change they supplement this by training school governors, staff, and parents/carers. Since 2011 they’ve worked with 400 schools, reaching over 100,000 young people and over 5,000 school staff and governors.
Emma Miller-McCaffrey, Community Engagement Manager (Diversity Role Models)
Emma started her career as a Secondary Drama Teacher for 9 years and has since volunteered and worked for various LGBT charities. She is passionate about authenticity and all of us recognising our strength in being individual. Over 5 years ago Emma began volunteering with Diversity Role Models as a role model in Liverpool. Now based in the London office, Emma supports volunteers and community engagement activities across England. Emma lives at RMA Sandhurst with her Navy wife, and DRM Trustee, Ann. As a result of her work Emma was shortlisted for the Positive Role Model LGBT Award at the National Diversity Awards 2016, as well as the We Are The City Rising Star Award in both 2016 and 2017. She was nominated for the Pride Power List 2016 and was recognised as a Future Leader by Northern Power Women in 2017.
Philip Ridley has written many highly regarded and hugely influential stage plays including the seminal The Pitchfork Disney, The Fastest Clock In The Universe (winner of a Time Out Award, the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright, and the Meyer-Whitworth Prize), Ghost From A Perfect Place (nominated for The Evening Standard Best New Play Award), Vincent River,Mercury Fur, Leaves of Glass, Piranha Heights, Tender Napalm (nominated for the London Fringe Best Play Award), Shivered (nominated for the Off-West End Best New Play Award), Dark Vanilla Jungle (winner of an Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award), Radiant Vermin, Tonight With Donny Stixx and Karagula (nominated for the Off-West End Best New Play Award), In 2012 WhatsOnStage named him a Jubilee Playwright (one of the most influential British writers to have emerged in the past six decades). Philip has won both the Evening Standard’s Most Promising Newcomer to British Film and Most Promising Playwright Awards, the only person ever to receive both prizes.
Danielle Tarento is a freelance producer and casting director. She won Best Producer at the Off West End Awards 2012, was nominated Producer of the Year at the Stage Awards 2015 and was listed as one of the top 10 producers of Musical Theatre in 2016 in The Stage. She is co-founder of the Menier Chocolate Factory.