Emily Carewe is the Creative Producer of 45North and stars in On the Line, the third audio play in 45North’s second season of Written on the Waves.
Created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Written on the Waves has been curated and made against the odds where many creative possibilities ceased, unceremoniously and indefinitely. The first series of Written on the Waves has been streamed over 5,500 times from 40 countries so far and is available via www.forty-fivenorth.com/writtenonthewaves
On The Line, starring Emily Carewe premieres in a listening party on June 25. More information can be found here.
You’re starring in On the Line, part of Written on the Waves, what can you tell us about it?
The piece was written by Dessa, who is an American rapper and singer. She’s based in the States, so the whole process was incredibly transatlantic, which is also a theme in the play itself. It’s a phone call between two friends, Simon and Gina. Simon has just moved back to the UK and moved in with his girlfriend, Misty, and Gina is still in New York. It looks at the boundaries of their relationship and how close they tiptoe towards on the line of crossing them…
What was it about this play that really stood out for you?
I think the intimacy of the relationship between Simon and Gina is really fascinating. We all have such definitions about what makes a relationship the kind of relationship that it is, but it’s so easy for those lines to get blurred. I also loved the process of developing the piece – it felt like a very ‘in-house’ 45North project, and the majority of the creative team are also involved in the piece in another capacity, so it felt like a really holistic process.
You’re a creative producer for 45North, the team behind Written on the Waves, what made you want to perform in On the Line?
The entire 45North team are all artists and creatives in their own right as well as producers. We never commission pieces with the intent of serving as creatives as well, but in this case it was a perfect fit. I read the role of Misty in an initial read-through when we were developing the script, and it sort of stuck from there! It also really helped solidify the energy of so much of the team being involved in multiple capacities – really embracing the multi-hyphenate careers!
Why is it so important that 45North highlights female and non-binary voices?
The empowerment of female and non-binary voices has always been at the core of our mission at 45North. Whilst positive steps have definitely been made towards representation, there definitely continues to be inequality and if we can be a small part in addressing that, then we will continue to keep this focus for as long as it is needed! It’s definitely about representation of stories and narratives as well as the people involved in teams and casts.
How have you found working on an audio play as opposed to a staged play?
We’ve been focussed on audio at 45North for the majority of the last year, and it’s been a really wonderful way of staying creative and continuing to employ a wonderful range of freelancers. This season has been particularly exciting, as we’ve been exploring the different ways we can push the boundaries of audio drama and how audiences relate and interact with it. Whilst we are definitely looking forward to being back on stage, we’ve been so proud of the work we’ve created this year, and will definitely continue with audio in whatever form that takes.
What would you say to anyone thinking of listening to On the Line?
I’d say grab a drink, find a cosy seat, dim the lights and enjoy eavesdropping on this intimate and messy conversation between people who care very dearly for each other.
