Jenna Fincken

The moments of brilliance in the piece are, unfortunately, overshadowed by its nature and the current commodification of trauma portrayals. We rapidly understand what’s going on, but there’s litte appeal and no hook. We keep watching because we want to know how wrong it will go and how hurt she’ll be - which is alarmingly sadistic.

Following hugely successful run the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2022, Wildcard Theatre brings one-woman thriller Ruckus to London Theatre Southwark Playhouse from 5-29th October – performed and written by Jenna Fincken – Ruckus is a compelling, unsettling play exploring the suppression and destruction caused by coercive control. Inspired by the daunting and real stories of real women. Ruckus is produced by Wildcard's Joey Dawson who also produced the highly successful Manic Street Creature at this Year's Edinburgh Fringe.

Brown Boys Swim is the winner of the Popcorn Writing Award 2022.  Written by Karim Khan (a recipient of Riz Ahmed’s Left Handed Films and Pillars Fund inaugural fellowship and an alumnus of the The North Wall’s ArtsLab programme), this lyrical coming-of-age tale looks at the pressures that surround young Muslim men today. 

Popcorn Group have announced this year’s incredible judging committee along with their longlist of brave and imaginative new plays for the Popcorn Writing Award. Partnering for the first time with BBC Writersroom, Popcorn offers a prize fund of £6,000. 

Writer and performer Jenna Fincken blogs for Broadway World about premiering Ruckus at the Fringe. She details how she has sensitively created work which deals with real people’s experiences, self-care for her audiences and how theatre challenges social narratives.

BWW catches up with Jenna Fincken to chat about bringing Ruckus to the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Wildcard Theatre's Ruckus is a compelling, unsettling one-woman thriller exploring the suppression and destruction caused by coercive control. Taking the audience through the sensations of being at the beginning of a coercively controlled relationship, this tense and thought-provoking drama will raise questions about women's vulnerabilities to psychologically violent relationships within today's patriarchal society.

Circa explores the blurred identity of the gay relationship in the modern age. Following the story of one man's romantic life, we are taken through the different relationships and encounters he experiences over a period of thirty years. Joining him through the joys and pitfalls of trying to find love and fulfilment as a gay man.

Circa explores the blurred identity of the gay relationship in the modern age. Following the story of one man's romantic life, we are taken through the different relationships and encounters he experiences over a period of thirty years. Joining him through the joys and pitfalls of trying to find love and fulfilment as a gay man.

Thomas Flynn (Twelfth Night, The Rose Playhouse, RSC Dell; Tuckshop, Paines Plough Roundabout and The Lowry; PLAY, Hackney Showroom) and Daniel Abelson (Once In a Lifetime, Young Vic; The Mighty Walzer, Royal Exchange; The Seagull, Chichester Festival Theatre) will lead the cast in Tom Ratcliffe's debut play, Circa, exploring the blurred identity of the gay relationship in the modern age. Investigating one man's romantic life over a period of thirty years, Circa follows his different relationships and encounters.