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Dora Maar (1907-1997) was a prolific photographer and artist, becoming one of the first women to break through in the surrealist movement. She used her creations as a social commentary on beauty, gender and war.
However in today’s conversations, her name only appears after a man’s: the infamous Pablo Picasso. He needs no introduction (and we are not inclined to give one). History holds Dora’s romantic involvement with him as the only memorable thing about her, but Dora is now here to tell you differently. Delving into the deepest depths of her career, battling to escape the association with Picasso that looms over her, whilst bringing you the honest truth about this ‘love story’.
This play contains verbatim quotes.
Trailer
Creatives and Cast
Meet the team
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Nadia Jackson
Writer
Nadia grew up on a farm in Herefordshire, where she was most comfortable in water and fields. She moved to London to study Acting at The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, and has been based here since. She is also an artist, and while training, set up a business selling commissioned paintings in order to afford her tuition. Since graduating, Nadia has worked predominantly in immersive theatre, but has always been particularly fascinated in history, female stories, and combining her two loves: theatre and art. ‘Maar, Dora.’ is a passion project that she has been working on for nearly 4 years.
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Spiky Saul
Director
Spiky has been directing since she was very young, turning her birthday parties into devised shows. She left school at 17 and worked multiple jobs to pay for courses at the National Theatre, resulting in a placement on the book launch of Margaret Atwood’s Testaments. At 19 she got a place at RADA on the Technical Theatre and Stage Management course. During this time Spiky single-handedly wrote, directed, designed and puzzle designed a full-scale theatrical escape room called Flat 11B. From the age of 18 she was mentored by Jamie Lloyd, culminating in the direction of a short piece of new writing, Virgil by Maeve Roscoe, at the Harold Pinter Theatre in 2022. Maar, Dora has been a joy to work on - surrealism and theatre have always been a passion and this project has been an amazing collaboration.
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Faye Ziegler
Dora Maar
Years before coming across Nadia Jackson and this play, Faye found Dora Maar accidentally while researching for a photography project having been given the title ‘Muse’. She then spent the next year working in studios and on films that all spun from the vivid spark of Dora. Getting to meet her now as an actor is a privilege. She has trained with the National Youth Theatre and The Actor’s Training Company directed by Hannah Eidinow, James Kerr, Oliver Birch, Lizzie Ballinger and Rachel Nicholson. She is also training with Lidless Theatre directed by Max Harrison, and Living Pictures Productions directed by Robbie and Elen Bowman. Roles include Anna Lechner in Judgement Day, Maria Lvovna in Summerfolk, Roxie Hart in Chicago, Hippolita in Tis Pity She’s A Whore, Helena in Uncle Vanya, and Rebecca in Jekyll & Hyde.
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Jeremiah O’Connor
Pablo Picasso
Jeremiah is an actor with a background in art, history and archaeology.
But before Jeremiah was anything, he was an artist. Never far from the school art room, face smeared with charcoal, Paints, pastels, or ink. Since being cast as Picasso he’s tried to reimmerse himself in the artist of his youth. Oils and paints and pastels. It’s been a revelation and a reinvigoration.
He’s seen Guernica. He speaks a little Spanish.
Stepping stones on the way to Picasso.
It’s been a challenge and a thrill to try and bridge the gap between Picasso and myself, and it’s been an honor to join the Dora Maar company for this years Camden Fringe.
Credits include James Joyce in Travesties, Lucky in Waiting for Godot, Satan in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Nigel in A Date to Remember, Clown in A Winter’s Tale and Kevin in Call the Midwife
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Benjamin Clarke
Composer and Sound Designer
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Dan Burman
Fight Direction
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Yorgos Ioannides
Assistant director
Voiceovers
Tommy Beswick, Oliver Page and Jamie Winstone.
Tech
Cam Pike
Many Thanks
The Old Red Lion and Medium Rare Productions.
Joe Deighton for being our courrier.
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Dora Maar
“ That’s something I’ve recognised since my Pablo years, girls growing into men.”
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A word from our Writer
Nadia Jackson
I am an actor and artist, and wrote the first iteration of ‘Maar, Dora.’ as part of my drama school dissertation, where we were to create a 15 minute performance. I knew I wanted my piece to combine my two favourite mediums, theatre and art. I started by researching female artists who’s work had perhaps gone under-appreciated in history, and stumbled upon Dora Maar’s collection, coincidentally just as the Tate Modern were holding an exhibition to celebrate her career. This was in February 2020. I visited the exhibition and never looked back, her story almost falling out of me and onto a page. But then lockdown hit, and my dissertation piece was unable to be performed. I held onto my script and kept adding to it and editing it, for the next three years. I had the opportunity to perform a section of ‘Maar, Dora.’ at Bang Average Theatre’s Scratch event in September 2023, which was the first time any of my writing had been performed to an audience. This is my first experience of writing and producing, and I have learnt so much through this process. I can’t wait to continue on this journey, learn so much more, and help our audiences to learn more about history’s forgotten women.
Contact Us
Please get in touch with any feedback or questions regarding Maar, Dora. We would really value any thoughts.