Marina Cusi on theatre, activism and power

A writer unafraid to tackle urgent political questions, Marina brings Sub Titles Over to the Lakeside Theatre this March - a sharp, thought-provoking drama exploring censorship, identity and what happens when language itself becomes a battleground.

Performed in Catalan with English subtitles, this one-woman play blends dark humour with political urgency as it follows the day of the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. Through layered storytelling and bold theatrical choices, the play examines who gets to speak, who is heard, and who decides the limits of expression.

Marina, who now lives in Wivenhoe and is the Assistant Theatre Manager at the Lakeside Theatre, sat down with Essex PhD candidate, playwright, and aspiring clown, Alice K. Stephens, to discuss the upcoming play and how her time at Essex has helped her become the theatre-maker she is today.

For Marina, the themes of censorship and free speech feel particularly resonant in today’s climate. “We are living in a time where speech is constantly being debated, monitored and challenged,” she explains in conversation with Alice. “Theatre is one of the few spaces where we can still explore difficult ideas together in a room.” The play does not offer easy answers, but instead invites audiences to wrestle with complexity - to question power structures, cultural translation and the cost of self-censorship. In an era of polarised debate and online outrage, for Marina Sub Titles Over feels both timely and necessary.

Marina credits her time at Essex as instrumental in shaping her career in theatre. Studying at Essex provided not only formal training but also the creative freedom to experiment and find her voice. “Essex encouraged boldness,” she reflects. “It was a space where I felt supported to take risks and develop my ideas.”

Now an established playwright, Marina is the founder and Creative Director of Mad, Who? a campus-based theatre company setup with the help of Essex’s Startups team. Her advice to aspiring writers is simple but honest: keep writing and don’t wait for permission. “The industry can feel closed, but the most important thing is to keep making work,” she says. She also encourages young theatre-makers to find their community, seek out constructive feedback and embrace resilience in the face of rejection.

Marina says that Sub Titles Over promises an evening of bold, intelligent theatre that she hopes will spark conversation long after the curtain falls as it offers audiences the chance to experience a compelling new voice tackling one of the defining issues of our time.

Sub Titles Over plays at the Lakeside Theatre, Thursday 05 March, 19:00