What's on in London: Who is Claude Cahun?
Bringing to life the extraordinary true story of trailblazing artist who defied the Nazis.
Written by D.R. Hill and directed by David Furlong, Who is Claude Cahun? is a new production that features as part of the Pride month programme at Southwark Playhouse in London.
The play brings to life the true story of a Jewish lesbian artist, Claude Cahun who defied the Nazi regime through acts of artistic resistance on the occupied island of Jersey during the Second World War.
Born Lucy Schwob into a French Jewish family, Cahun, along with lifelong partner Marcel Moore (born Suzanne Malherbe), escaped the confines of a male-dominated surrealist art scene in Paris and relocated to Jersey. When the Nazis occupied the Channel Islands in 1940, the couple launched a bold guerrilla campaign of subversive art to resist fascism – all while evading the Gestapo.
The production shines a light on a forgotten history of identity, courage, and rebellion – a timely reminder of the radical power of self-expression.
"The extraordinary story of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore remains largely invisible..." explains D.R. Hill. "Yet this courageous pair challenged gender identity and patriarchal hierarchies that informed even cutting edge artistic circles. They resisted Nazi oppression with a form of guerrilla art activism that is hugely relevant today. My inspiration was the desire to raise wide awareness of heroic individuals for too long undervalued as a result of homophobic, transphobic and misogynist attitudes."
Cast
- Lilit Lesser (they/them)
- Amelia Armande (they/them)
- Ben Bela Böhm (he/him)
- Sharon Drain (they/them)
Who is Claude Cahun? will run at the Southwark Playhouse from 18 June – 12 July.
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