Cara Vaitilingam
Cara is a producer, director, writer and performer. She graduated in 2021 with a first-class degree in History with Spanish from University College London, where she specialised in Sri Lankan migration and identity in modern Britain. During lockdown she founded, produced and directed performance initiative Curtain Up In Crisis, which raised over £5000 for the National Emergencies Trust, was featured in Good Housekeeping and garnered a global audience of more than 70,000 people. She has written about food and theatre for a range of online publications, and as a director collaborated with Tim Rice and his creative team to develop and premiere a new version of musical From Here To Eternity in 2018. As a singer and actor, she has performed across multiple genres in venues from the Tobacco Factory to Hampstead’s Burgh House and the Bloomsbury Theatre.
Why Khameleon?
Coming from a mixed-race, multi-nationality family (my father is a Sri Lankan Brit and my mother is Italian-American), the complex intersections of race, culture and identity have always fascinated me. Khameleon doesn’t shy away from the complexities that exist within our identities, but rather celebrates them and brings them to light by platforming incredible artists from the global majority. Their approach is both visionary and timely, and being part of a company that truly prioritises diversity in this way is humbling. I’m thrilled to be working alongside them as they blaze an international trail in theatre and film.
Why Medea?
Recent histories of immigration in Britain and elsewhere suggest that Medea’s themes of migration, rejection, broken promises and despair are as relevant today as they were 2500 years ago. A new adaptation, brought to life by a team that represents the extraordinary diversity of a society built on migration, is thus destined to resonate deeply with modern audiences. Throw in a brilliant, compelling plot and an iconic feminist lead, and Medea is an obvious choice for Khameleon!