Cutting Out at Tobacco Factory Theatres

Bristol based artist and activist Viv Gordon, will be coming to Tobacco Factory Theatres in June with her solo play Cutting Out.

Viv is an artist and campaigner whose work is grounded in her lived experience as a Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) survivor. She is Artistic Director of Viv Gordon Company – an arts and social justice organisation creating art and performance to increase the voice and visibility for and with CSA survivors.

Her show – Cutting Out – is a performance piece set within an installation of hundreds of cut out dolls hanging up and joined at the hands. They come from audiences seeing her shows who have been invited to cut out more dolls to add to the existing ones already on stage. The chain of dolls grows by each performance and workshop.

Photography by Ed Felton

Through the performance aspect of the show, Viv navigates the act of remembering her experiences as a child with what happened next.

Alongside the cutting out of the dolls, the performance unites an emerging community of survivors and allies through creative expression and freedom.

“From being alone in a vacuum of silence, to creating a whole company that’s about art making, writing and performing has been an incredible journey,” Viv Gordon says.

“It is wonderful to perform ‘Cutting Out’ as it means so much to me to say it all out loud and connect deeply with the audience. Collective witnessing of these stories is the first step in making change. Yes, there is truth and horror in the vast number of Child Abuse Survivors reported, but with humanity and being together, revelling in words and images, we can join in simple creative acts of resistance and build a giant paper chain of hope.”

Cutting Out will be at Gloucester Guildhall 20-21 May and Tobacco Factory Theatres from 05 – 07 June 2025

The age recommendation of the show is aged 16 upwards. The work speaks about experiences of child sexual abuse. See Tobacco Factory Theatres content warning for further information.

Cast and Creatives
Writer & Performer – Viv Gordon
Director & Co-Writer – Tom Roden
Music Composer – Thomas Johnson
Designer – Imogen Harvey-Lewis
Lighting Designer – Chris Swain
Producer – Kate McStraw
Production Manager – Simon Langley
Marketing & Comms – Bethan Williams & Cushla Gordon Simpson
Wellbeing Support – Rachel Hole & Kate Elgood
Access PA – Lisa Hall

Photography – Ed Felton

For more information about the Viv Gordon Company, visit: vivgordoncompany.co.uk

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