Directing WHO IS CLAUDE CAHUN ? at Southwark Playhouse

Southwark Playhouse Borough presents the World premiere

directed by Exchange Theatre's artistic director David Furlong,

DRH productions present a new play by David R. Hill,

Who is CLAUDE CAHUN ?

Who is Claude Cahun? is a gripping new play dramatising the true story of queer, activist artists, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. Set in Jersey and Paris, it is a story of courage and determination in the face of Gestapo persecution.

But what is your identity as a Jewish lesbian in Nazi occupied Jersey?

With an inclusive cast of five actors, moving images and projections mapping, plus surreal masks and movement, DRH Arts and Exchange Theatre bring their unique touch to realise the extraordinary story of Cahun and Moore.

Born Lucy Schwob, a French artist and writer, part of the surrealist movement in Paris in the 1930s, Claude Cahun struggled in their search for gender identity in the male dominated art world. They were also of Jewish heritage. In the late 1930’s they relocated to Jersey, with their long-term partner, Marcel Moore (born Suzanne Malherbe).

When the island was occupied by the Nazis in 1940, the pair used guerrilla art to actively resist the occupying forces. Pursued by the Gestapo, their true story is a forgotten tale of courage, and determination to be true to personal identity.

Who is Claude Cahun?

shines a light on real life resistance heroes, left invisible for too long.

The DRH Arts team is led by writer, D.R. Hill, and Director, David Furlong, who together successfully created and toured Draining the Swamp in 2023 and 2024. David Furlong said “Claude Cahun’s life, and determined search for personal identity, is inspirational. We might assume that today Claude would consider themselves trans, but imagine that persona and profile living under a Nazi regime! Their resistance activity, alongside life time partner, Marcel Moore, is not only material for great drama, but a story that needs to be told in our current times.”

For performers, DRH Arts and Exchange Theatre are currently casting

on Spotlight and Casting Call Back.

D.R. Hill is a writer and actor whose previous plays include - Draining the Swamp, Peace in our Town (co-written with Barrie Keeffe), All Change, The Tale of the Cornwoman and Project Seven. His short story collection, House Clearance, was shortlisted for the Eyelands International Book Awards. He has also published Voices of Culture (The Role of Culture in Promoting Refugee Inclusion) co-written as a commission from the European Union, and ArtReach, 25 Years of Cultural Development.

David Furlong is the multiple Offie-nominated Artistic Director of London-based Exchange Theatre, and a Young Vic Jerwood alumni. Directing credits include Draining the Swamp, The Doctor in Spite of Himself, and House of Bernada Alba. He works both in Paris and London in French and English, and was resident director at the French Institute for two years. His bilingual work was part of the 2021 documentary In Exchange. He also is a co-founder member of Migrants in Theatre.

Southwark Playhouse is a registered charity that delivers a year-round programme of entertaining and enriching work. Southwark Playhouse operates two separate venues ‘Southwark Playhouse Borough’ and its newest theatre ‘Southwark Playhouse Elephant’ which opened in January 2023. Southwark Playhouse has always prided itself in telling stories and inspiring the next generation of storytellers and theatre makers, where support for the community has been rooted at the core of the organisation.