Pepa Duarte’s Eating Myself to embark on tour this autumn

Pepa Duarte’s Eating Myself is to embark on a UK tour this autumn.

Written and performed by Pepa Duarte (A Fight Against…, The Royal Court Theatre) in her debut play, Eating Myself will open at London’s Brixton House from 12 – 15 July.

The production will then tour to The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol (12 – 14 September), Derby Theatre (23 September), Northern Stage, Newcastle (27 – 28 September), The Lawrence Batley, Huddersfield (1 October), October Theatre Royal, Wakefield (2 October), Theatre by the Lake, Keswick (4 October), The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham (20 – 21 October) and NonSuch Studios, Nottingham (27 October).

After Peruvian cooking was forbidden in Pepa’s family home and memories of family traditions start to burst in, she found herself on a mission to delve into her relationship with food as she battles with the demons of weight loss and the pressures that come with this.

Sharing stories of her teenage rebellion, her mother’s vegetarianism, and her current cravings, Eating Myself invites audiences into a dreamscape of their own hunger and cravings. Watch as Pepa invites audiences into her kitchen to prepare a soup that represents everything that she truly needs.

Directed by Sergio Maggiolo, the production has movement direction by Shane Dempsey, set design by Laura Arroyo, costume/prop design by Carolina Rieckhof, , sound design and composition by Tom Sochas, lighting design by Michael Harpur with production assistant Penelope Diaz, stage manager Francisco Diaz, graphic designer Alexandro Valcarcel and photography/videography by Hector Manchego.

Writer and performer Pepa Duarte said: “It’s an incredible pleasure to go on tour around England with this show. It is a way to make different cultures meet through a story of self discovery. Thanks to the work of so many activists and communities we are able to talk about feminism and equality, but these are issues that we have to keep talking about. Women are still under the pressure of society’s expectations of beauty, weight, and gender responsibilities within the home and family. The show is a way to connect with women and men from all cultures, to revise and unlock our prejudice against our own bodies and others. Understanding migration as part of human life, and food as an immense source of tradition and love.

“In a way, I wrote this play to honour all those generations that came before me, to bring them to the table and to thank them for their care and knowledge. I want the audience to feel welcomed at my table and hopefully bring their families with them too. It’s been a pleasure for me to work for all these years in a production that compiles so many flavours from so many places.”