Strong

Written & Directed by Maria Georgiou

Strong is the powerful debut work of British-Cypriot writer and director Maria Georgiou, featuring an all-British-Cypriot creative team.

Based on a true story, Strong is a one-woman show that delves into the complexities of loss, faith, grief, joy, hope, and resilience in the face of adversity. Through the eyes of Elena, a British Greek Cypriot single mother of two, the audience is taken on an emotional yet bittersweet journey, filled with both humour and heartbreak.

Elena’s world is turned upside down when her 15-year-old daughter Lia is diagnosed with cancer. Thrust into a new and unfamiliar reality, she struggles to juggle her spiralling career, endless hospital visits, and the demands of her well-intentioned but often overwhelming Greek Cypriot family — all during the uncertainty of a global pandemic.

To process these overwhelming events, Elena takes to walking. As she walks, she shares her fears and stories, sometimes through her thoughts and other times through voice-notes to her best friend Charoulla. The emotional weight of her journey is symbolised by the growing number of objects she carries on stage, representing the cultural, personal, and emotional burdens she shoulders.

Despite the heaviness of her circumstances, Strong is ultimately a celebration of the human capacity to endure, adapt, and find hope even in the darkest moments. It reminds us that there is strength in vulnerability, love, laughter, and simply putting one foot in front of the other.