Eliana Ostro on Anything With A Pulse

We spoke to writer, director and founder of Wonky Donkey Theatre Eliana Ostro about her upcoming play Anything With A Pulse that’s taking part in Park Theatre’s Make Mine A Double programme

Tell us a bit about your show

Anything With a Pulse follows the story of a man and a woman who meet in a club. At first glance it seems they are totally right for one another, but life is never quite that straightforward. The realities of social pressure, insecurities, and crippling self-doubt lead us on a journey through a series of chaotic nights out and the wilderness that is one’s mid-twenties.

Tell us a bit about you and your company

We are a new theatre company formed by female graduates from the National Youth Theatre ‘Epic Stages’ course. We are focused on producing new writing, and this is our debut production. What is your favourite quality of each main character you’ve created and why? I enjoy exploring the humanity of both characters – some of which lies beneath the masks that they assume in order to interact with the world – and a great deal of fun comes from seeing the façades slip and exploring the disconnect between their inner and outer selves. It’s a recipe for joy, pain and awkwardness in equal measure.

What would you like the audience to take away from the show?

A sense of the swirling chaos of this particular phase of one’s life, whether that be something you are learning about for the first time, remember-not-so-fondly, or are going through right now (in which case you have my sympathy).

What does taking part in Make Mine A Double mean to you?

It is a total thrill and a dream come true to be included in a season of incredibly exciting new writing in one of my very favourite theatres in London. The Park is crackling with fresh talent, and I will be careful balancing my post-show schmoozing with seeing everything else they have on!

Tell us about the other show you’re paired with

I have yet to see Pickle, but from what I understand, it’s an exciting one-woman comic play by a Jewish writer/performer navigating being a modern Jewish woman in the UK. It’s show that, as a young Jewish playwright, sounds like exactly my cup of chicken soup.

Anything With A Pulse will be performed between the 14th – 26th November, more information and tickets here