A short summary of your project
Daughter is a bold, funny, and unsettling solo performance that confronts the complexities of fatherhood, toxic masculinity, and the stories we inherit. After the show's incredible success as a sold-out hit of the 2025 MFA Theatre Directing Thesis Season, Daughter has been picked up to be remounted for a London Run at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre, 3-7 February 2026.
We are excited to be bringing this provocative dark comedy to new audiences, but we cannot do it without your help!
Who are you?
Our company is a fantastic collection of current and recent graduates of East 15.
The Father: Cristiano Benfenati (MFA International Acting)
Director: Alexandra Rizkallah (MFA Theatre Directing)
Associate Director & Movement Director: Sasha Tzu-Yin Hsu (MFA Theatre Directing)
Intimacy Director: Liz Kent (MFA International Acting)
Producer: Littion Lion Theatre Company, Kay Brattan (MA Theatre Directing)
Your story
We are remounting Daughter by Adam Lazarus — a fierce, provocative solo show that tears open the myths we build around fatherhood and masculinity. It’s a piece that refuses to look away, mixing dark humour with painfully honest storytelling to expose the behaviours we inherit, the ones we perform, and the ones we struggle to unlearn. It asks difficult questions, sparks uncomfortable laughter, and invites audiences to confront the parts of ourselves we usually keep hidden.
We are returning to this project because its themes continue to grow more urgent. As artists and graduates of the University of Essex, we are committed to making theatre that isn’t safe — theatre that challenges us to rethink the stories we’ve normalized. Daughter is one of those rare works that genuinely shifts a room. Each time it's performed, audiences are forced to grapple with their own hypocrisy of what has become socially accepted, and where they draw the line at what is unacceptable. That’s the kind of impact that keeps us doing this work.
Where will the money go?
For donors, supporting this production means backing a piece of theatre that sparks real, necessary conversations about gender, power, and responsibility. Your contribution (which is matched!) helps cover the increasing costs of producing fringe theatre, making it possible for this important show to reach audiences at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre. By giving, you’re not just funding a performance — you’re helping bring a socially vital story back to the stage, one that challenges harmful norms and invites audiences to imagine something better.
- Performance Rights: £510
- Composition Licensing & Royalties: £200
- Travel & Transportation: £250
- Marketing: £125
Rewards
- £10-£25: Receive your name in the official show program under "Special Thanks";
- £26-£50: Receive 1/4 page for advertising in the official show program;
- £51-£100: Receive 1/2 page for advertising in the official show program;
- £101+: Receive 1 full page for advertising in the official show program, and a personalized thank you from the Director.
Find us here
Instagram: @daughter.theplay
Ticket Website: https://www.thelionandunicorntheatre.com/whats-on
Help us succeed!
You don’t have to donate to make a huge difference — helping us spread the word is just as powerful!
Please share this project with anyone who loves theatre, cares about new writing, or believes in bold, socially engaged art.Tell your friends, post on social media, send a message, whisper it across a fence — however you share things you’re excited about, we’d be grateful.
And of course, if you are able to donate, we would love your support. Every contribution — big or small — goes directly into paying artists fairly, securing production rights, and getting this powerful production in front of audiences again.
Thank you for helping us make this happen!
