YVETTE: FROM STAGE TO SCREEN
A story I wrote almost a decade ago is coming home in a new form.
There are some stories that stay with you.
Or at least you think you do.
Yvette is one of those stories for me.
I first wrote and performed Yvette as my debut play — a one-woman story about a young girl growing up in North West London, navigating friendship, family, adolescence, humour and the devastating experience of childhood sexual abuse.
It was deeply personal work.
And somehow, it became much bigger than I ever expected.
Yvette went on to win the Young Harts Writing Fest Audience Favourite, the King's Head Theatre Stella Wilkie Award and the East15 Pulse Award, and was nominated for a Stage Debut Award. It was published by Oberon Books and went on to tour nationally. (Crowdfunder UK)
But what meant the most to me was what happened in the room.
People talked.
People recognised themselves.
People laughed at moments they perhaps didn't expect to laugh at.
And people sat with some incredibly difficult questions.
That was always the point.
I have always believed that storytelling can do more than entertain us.
It can open a door.
It can start a conversation.
It can make something that has been kept silent feel speakable.
NOW I'M MAKING THE FILM
Years after Yvette first came to life on stage, I'm taking her somewhere new.
I'm adapting Yvette into a short film.
This is also the beginning of something much bigger for me professionally.
I've spent years developing myself as a writer, performer and theatre-maker.
Now I'm stepping into a new era as a producer.
Through my new production company, Concrete Flower Productions, I'm developing original work across theatre, film and live cultural experiences — and Yvette is the first screen project we're bringing into the world. (Concrete Flower Prod)
Making Yvette as a film gives me the opportunity to tell the story differently.
More intimately.
More visually.
To take the audience inside Yvette's world in a way that theatre simply can't.
But the heart of the story remains the same:
survival, silence, humour, memory and healing.
And most importantly, the humanity of a young survivor.
I NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE IT
Independent filmmaking is expensive.
And I don't want to make this film by cutting corners when it comes to the people making it.
We've launched a £5,000 Crowdfunder to help us create the film properly — paying cast and crew fairly, securing locations, production design, cinematography, sound, editing, music and ultimately getting the film in front of audiences through festivals. (Crowdfunder UK)
Every contribution helps.
£5.
£20.
£50.
£100.
Whatever you can give.
And if you can't donate, sharing the campaign is just as valuable.
This film has already had a life.
Now I'm asking you to help me give it another one.
FROM YVETTE TO CONCRETE FLOWER
There's something quite emotional about this moment for me.
Yvette was my beginning as a writer-performer.
Now she's becoming part of my beginning as a producer.
That's what makes this project feel bigger than simply adapting an old play.
It's about looking at the work I've made, understanding what it taught me, and asking:
What can I build from here?
Concrete Flower Productions is my answer.
A home for stories that have something to say.
Stories rooted in lived experience.
Stories that can make people laugh, uncomfortable, think, question, recognise themselves and hopefully see something differently.
Yvette is the first film.
It won't be the last.
YOU CAN READ YVETTE TOO
Before Yvette becomes a film, you can go back to where the story began — the play itself.
Yvette was published as part of Oberon’s Modern Plays and is available to buy on Amazon.
For me, there’s something really special about being able to hold the story in your hands.
This is the original piece of writing that started the journey — before the productions, before the awards, before the idea of making it into a film.
If you're interested in the story, want to read it before seeing the film, are a student, performer, director, writer or simply want to support the work, you can buy a copy of Yvette on Amazon.
READ THE PLAY
Read the story. Support the work. Then help us bring it to the screen.
HELP US BRING YVETTE TO THE SCREEN
If the story means something to you, please consider supporting the Crowdfunder.
Donate. Share. Tell someone about it.
Help us take Yvette from the stage...
to the screen.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Yvette over the years — from the very first performance to everyone who bought a ticket, came to a show, shared the work, talked about it, reviewed it, championed it or simply sat in an audience and listened.
We're not finished with Yvette yet.
— Urielle
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