Trade
Omnibus Theatre Clapham, 2022
Written by Ella Dorman-Gajic
Cast: Tanya Cubric, Ojan Genc, Eleanor Roberts
Directed by Maddy Corner
Assistant Director: Josh Silverlock
Set & Costume Designer: Natasha Gatward
Lighting, Projection & Caption Designer: Timothy Kelly
Sound Designer: Kristina Kaplin
Intimacy Coordinator: Tigger Blaize
Translator: Zorica Agbaba
Movement Consultant: Mathew Wernham
Stage Manager: Tilly Price
Producers: Maddy Corner and Ella Dorman-Gajic
“Complex, challenging, and more than a little surprising, Trade plunges the audience into the murky and perilous world of European sex trafficking.
Unflinching, unapologetic, and at times deeply uncomfortable, Trade is a well-performed and thoughtfully directed piece that never shies away from the difficult questions.”
Deborah Klayman, The Queer Review
"Sensitively handled play about a harrowing subject matter”
Natasha Tripney, The Stage
Fusing projection, design and immersive soundscapes this captivating three-hander plunges us into a visceral journey, spanning Serbia, Bosnia and the UK. Artistically integrated captions make this play accessible for d/Deaf audiences and native Serbian speakers. Captions translated into Serbian by Zorica Agbaba.
10% of ticket sales go to Unseen, a charity fighting human trafficking.
“The use of both Serbian and English captions for native tongue theatregoers is really thoughtful. This should be the norm across the industry.”
Romy Iris Foster, The Plays the Thing
“TRADE is a purpose-driven and thought-provoking play portraying the traditionally victimised protagonist in a more realistic light, making her relevant and sympathetic.”
Khushboo Shah, North West End
"There are so many small choices in this production that director Maddy Corner and the talented creative team have got just right. The use of projected images and bilingual surtitles on the cardboard box backdrop anchor the piece firmly in the characters’ world. The decision to speak in English accents while in dialogue with other Eastern European characters, yet in broken, accented English when speaking to UK characters is an incredibly effective device. It allows the audience to hear Jana speaking eloquently and passionately about her experiences, whilst simultaneously underscoring many of the assumptions made about those who speak English as a second language. Equally, it shows Jana’s duality – both the business woman and the cleaner, the perpetrator and the victim.
The use of an intimacy coordinator (Tigger Blaize) has also paid dividends: there are some toe-curling moments that hint so strongly at the true horror of the women’s reality, and the trust required to pull it off authentically is clearly on display. Natasha Gatward’s minimalistic, tactile set and costume designs add so much to the setting and overall feel of the production, with the inclusion of multiple sets of women’s underwear overhead particularly sobering. Kristina Kaplin’s sound design meshes perfectly with Tim Kelly’s lighting and video design, together creating an intimate and sometimes oppressive atmosphere that underscores the tension and sense of threat that is ever-present.
Trade is a dark, haunting play in many ways, yet there is also light and humour sprinkled through it. The story is told through direct address, when it feels Jana is giving her testimony, as well as conventional dialogue, which propels the narrative. When Jana is alone, the other actors assume a neutral state, moving the set and conjuring props in an almost otherworldly manner. The piece is designed to provoke, to challenge the audience, while simultaneously humanising a group of people who are all around us, but so often unseen.”
Deborah Klayman for The Queer Review
