Larisa Faber; Credit: Roxanne Peguet

Chronicle.lu recently got the opportunity to speak with Luxembourgish actor, writer and director Larisa Faber about her new English-language feminist play "stark bollock naked", which will open to the public at Neumünster Abbey (neimënster) next month.

Born in Romania, Larisa Faber grew up in Luxembourg and later studied at Drama Centre London in the United Kingdom (UK). She has acted in film, television and theatre across Europe and in five languages: English, German, French, Luxembourgish and Romanian.

Genesis and development 

When asked about her inspiration for "stark bollock naked", Larisa Faber explained that she had wanted to write about the biological clock in women ever since her 30th birthday. Such an opportunity arose when Black Fountain Press, Luxembourg's first publishing house for English literature, commissioned a collection of poetry, drama and short prose by five women writers in the Grand Duchy. The result was the "High Five" collection, which was published in 2019 and included Larisa Faber's play "stark bollock naked".

It was during her residency at neimënster, however, that Ms Faber was able to develop a full-length version of the play and to adapt it for the stage. She also added "a little twist" in the story during this residency, which gave her "the time and the resources to explore who these people [the characters] are". 

Concerning her inspiration for the title "stark bollock naked", Larisa Faber said she had been "inspired by the concept of using a literal naked body to project things on". The play focuses on the female perspective, hence the decision to cross out the word "bollocks" in the title. Nevertheless, she expressed an interest in possibly pursuing another play in the future about the still under-researched subject of male fertility. 

With the premiere of "stark bollock naked" set to take place on International Women's Day, Chronicle.lu asked Larisa Faber about some of the challenges she may have faced as a woman in the theatre and film industry. Focusing on the Grand Duchy specifically, Ms Faber stated: "In my lived experience, Luxembourg is very, very different to other countries. Its cultural scene is very young. [...] The people who started professionalising it are still there today". She added that the industry was small but well funded, describing it as "a family microcosm in itself with both the advantages and the disadvantages of a family". 

Personally, she has worked with many female directors, as well as women leading cultural institutions in Luxembourg. "I don't feel that [being] a woman makes a difference in Luxembourg", she said. However, the challenge lies in earning acceptance within this small "family". She added that there were similar challenges everywhere but they "manifest differently" depending on the country. 

Regarding what she would like audiences to take away from "stark bollock naked", Larisa Faber said she hoped that viewers would find it entertaining, whether emotionally or intellectually. "I hope people will have a great night at the theatre. I hope I'm not the only one who finds my jokes funny [and] that they find a connection with the writing in some way", she remarked.

Career as an actor, writer, director

Discussing her background in acting and writing (and indeed directing), Larisa Faber reflected on her time at her school theatre club in Luxembourg. She went on to study Film Studies in London before auditioning for various drama schools and was later accepted at Drama Centre London. She graduated in 2009 and has been working in the industry ever since.

Concerning her career in Luxembourg, she said that she had been fortunate to have received support from the Maskénada artist collective, which she described as her "entry point for everything in Luxembourg". She was particularly grateful to Serge Tonnar, a well-known Luxembourgish musician, composer, writer and actor, and an active member of Maskénada, who had "really encouraged" her in her efforts to break into the local cultural scene. 

When asked about how she approaches acting, writing and directing, Larisa Faber noted that, as a trained actor, she remains "cautious" about directing any other work than her own. When writing for the stage, she "envisions it in 3D straight away, see[ing] it on stage as [she] writes it". In the case of "stark bollock naked", she had envisioned video mapping in her writing. Consequently, for her, writing and directing "come as a pair".

Ms Faber explained that, as an actor, she is often "more interested in the director and the director’s vision than the play or the part itself". She elaborated: "The people in the room are really what make it. [...] I want to spend time with people I can connect with". This means that sometimes she will accept a part because she had an enjoyable experience working with a director (such as Anne Simon) in the past; other times, she will agree to work with someone with whom she has not yet worked but whose process and style she would like to learn more about.

As for writing, this is "different and trickier", according to Ms Faber. "You reveal something about yourself. The fear of failure is very present". She added that most of her writing is "inspired by or based on something real". 

When asked about her choice of language, particularly regarding "stark bollock naked", this multilingual actor-writer-director explained that she acts in five languages (listed above) but often opts for English when writing her works. "Romanian is the language of my childhood, Luxembourgish is the language of my teenage years and English is [coincidentally] the language of my adulthood", she noted. Having studied drama in the UK, she possesses a specific vocabulary in the English language.

COVID-19

Larisa Faber noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had had a significant impact on her career over the past two years. "stark bollock naked" was actually supposed to open at neimënster last year, but restrictions did not allow it. "It really changed everything", she said, adding that this was true for both her professional and her personal life. 

Future projects

When asked about what is next for her as an actor, writer and / or director, Larisa Faber revealed that she is working (again) with Luxembourgish director Anne Simon, whose rehearsal process she described as enjoyable and "always a learning experience", on a "radical reworking" of Shakespeare's Richard II at the national theatre (Théâtre National du Luxembourg). This will be Ms Faber's first time performing Shakespeare in English, and rehearsals have just begun...

The premiere of Larisa Faber's "stark bollock naked" will take place at neimënster on Tuesday 8 March 2022 (International Women's Day) at 20:00. Other performances are set to take place at neimënster from Wednesday 9 to Saturday 12 March 2022, each day at 20:00.

Tickets cost €22 (reduced price: €9; Kulturpass: €1.50). Reservations are required via email: billetterie@neimenster.lu or via tel.: 26 20 52 - 1.