Chayka
Who are the incredible women that have pushed the boundaries and explored the unknown? And where are they now?
One of them is about to set foot on the moon. In 10, 9, 8, 7, ...
Inspired by the strong women in her past, she readies herself for the launch to the great frontier as part of NASA’s Artemis III mission. But how did she get there in the first place? And whose giant leap is she actually following?
Chayka is a celebration of the great unknown and all the women who have faced it – but specifically the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova. It allows anybody who has ever wanted to leave Earth’s atmosphere to experience the universe and to explore. It inspires and is inspired by the ones who came before and the ones who follow. Into the darkness. Into space.
Vision
Chayka is an inspirational piece telling the story of one of the most important women in (space) history. It is meant to educate, excite and encourage dreamers to dream.
Relived through the eyes of HER - the first woman to set foot on the moon in 2025 as part of NASA's Artemis III mission - the audience is taken along on Valentina Tereshkova's 1963 mission. Faced with communication problems, high expectations and stigma from her male colleagues, Valentina serves as a role model and inspiration for our protagonist.
Audience
As a play about space travel and the incredible women that keep pushing boundaries, we want to target women, men and who want to be inspired by strong female stories. Young girls, young boys and anyone who identifies as a woman or can relate to ever wanting to explore the unknown and reach beyond their limitations.
Cast & Creatives
Writer: Shirley Both
Director: Vittorio Parri
Producer: Shirley Both & Tess Keelin
Valentina Tereshkova: Shirley Both
Her: Mia Kriebl-Bruno
Additional Considerations
While Chayka is a celebration of human space exploration and tells the story of a significant Russian pioneer in the space race, we acknowledge the fact that Valentina Tereshkova does not express the political opinions we identify with. As a cosmonaut she has achieved greatness; in her political career, she supports an ideology that we strongly disagree with.
Chayka means to showcase the wonderful discoveries that can be made if we, as humans, work together and not against each other.
In effect, we are looking for a charity or organisation aiding Ukraine in its defence against Russia. Please get in touch if your organisation or charity fits that description.
