Not Saint Hildegard
Sharing as part of The Playground Theatre’s Women’s Voices Festival in March 2025
March 20th and 21st 2025 @ 7:30PM
Drawing together music, movement, and a multi-generational female ensemble, Not Saint Hildegard delves into the inner world of the celebrated 12th-century abbess, mystic, and composer Hildegard von Bingen. This genre-defying exploratory performance draws upon her own writings, compositions, and contemporary perspectives on womanhood to examine the complexities of her life, from living with chronic pain, experiencing visions, and grappling with being a female presence - albeit renowned and revered - in an oppressively patriarchal space.
Albeit still largely unknown, Hildegard was one of the most influential composers in Western history. The patron saint of Music and Poetry, Hildegard’s story is brought to life through physical performance, soundscapes, and visceral imagery which externalise the ‘voice of the Living Light’ which she claimed to hear—her divine visions and insights. Developed with a cast of three women, the work shines a light on the pressures and forces that shaped this multifaceted figure, questioning what it means to live in fear, wisdom, and devotion. Did Hildegard, despite her veneration, ever feel truly free? Hildegard began experiencing profound and often apocalyptic visions at a young age, which she kept hidden out of fear of disbelief. When she finally revealed her spiritual insights in her forties, she unleashed a torrent of creativity, uncorking her talents as a poet, composer, and deepening her influence and reach as a leader who shaped religious and cultural history. This sharing dives into the tension between her divine purpose and the human cost of her extraordinary gifts, asking how her life resonates with the experiences of women today.
This work was initially developed during Invulnerable Nothing’s BarnLab residency in May 2022 and was first presented as a WIP at VAULT Festival 2023. This Research and Development sharing has been made possible by the generous support of Arts Council England.
Created and Directed by Kristin Winters | Devised and Performed by Sarah Kent, Gabrielle Moleta, and Kristin Winters | Sound by Florence Hand | Musical Director Gemma Storr | Additional Music by David Cieri | Lighting by Alex Forey | Chronic Pain and Voice Specialist Imogen Roux | This is a Bound By Theatre Production.
blench
A Staged Reading as part of Fresh Fest at the Old Red Lion
February 27th @ 7:00PM
Blench explores a mother-daughter bond fractured by dementia and bulimia - investigating the cyclical nature of love, pain & resilience. In this tender, humorous and harrowing journey, Daughter wrestles with feelings of control and chaos; Mum slips further into the disorientating fog of dementia, either unaware or in denial.
Directed by Hannah Hauer King
Written by Kristin Winters
Produced by Sam Dash