My dinner with Putin av Kate Pendry

-Raw and personal about Hollywood, war and power

After an underpaid freelance job, actress Kate Pendry is suddenly offered the chance to star in a Hollywood film with Robert De Niro, directed by world-renowned Nikita Mikhalkov. What follows is the starting point for this critically acclaimed monologue performance.

With refined effects, we hear about personal longings, the media's fetishisation of war and changing worldviews. Pendry tells the story of a life in unforgiving circumstances, jumping seamlessly between working-class Vienna in 1933, Moscow in 2022 and Los Angeles in 1955. We meet Pussy Riot, Robert De Niro and Putin. At the same time as we meet an actress playing herself, playing an actor auditioning for the role of an actor who is herself.

My dinner with Putin is a raw and endearing depiction of dreams, power and big politics. Where morals and ideological convictions must give way to personal gain.

Nominated for the Hedda Award for Best Stage Text, 2023 Nominated for the Norwegian Critics' Award for Best Theatre Production, 2023   "Pendry's craftswomanship, both as a writer and actor, is remarkable to say the least" - Norwegian Shakespeare Journal   "The most vulnerable and important monologue performance of the year" - Aftenposten, roll of the dice 6   "The language is beautiful, at times completely poetic" - Nordlys, roll of the dice 6   "This is monologue art at its most refined" - Dagsavisen, roll of the dice 5   "A really good performance I can't shake off." - Scenekunst.no

Text and actor: Kate Pendry Director: Mads Sjøgård Pettersen Musician, technician and composer: Audun Aschim Producer: Syv mil/ Camilla Svingen Director of Photography: Borgar Skjelstad Lighting designer: Martin Maisch Brandvoll Technician: Thomas Gallagher Sound design: Thomas Hildebrand Photographer: Tormod Lindgren

Supported by: The Norwegian Directorate for Culture, The Audio Visual Fund, The Bergesen Foundation, Dramatikkens Hus, Fritt Ord, FFUK, Stikk.

The production is produced by Syv mil and Kate Pendry in collaboration with Vega Scene, Østfold International Theatre and Hamar Theatre.