Tell us a bit more about Meat Cute - what made you want to start it?

So ‘Meat Cute’ is a one-woman comedy that follows the story of Lena, a down and out twenty-three year old, whose only passion is, seemingly, veganism. Throughout the play, Lena uses her sexuality and hold on men in an attempt to turn them all vegan as her form of activism. Things go wrong, things go right… but mostly wrong.

The thing that made me want to start Meat Cute was my cousin (and director of the piece, Anastasia Bunce) drunkenly telling me to write a piece for her company’s scratch night about environmentalism. We would always joke about how my way of spreading the vegan word would be my track record of turning my boyfriends vegan, and hey, don’t they always say ‘write what you know’?

Are you a vegan yourself?

I am vegan myself! I remember when I first started hearing about it being a thing was when I was a fourteen year old scrolling around on Tumblr. At first, it was a pretty confusing concept, but after lots of research (and scarring videos), it just made sense.

The thing I love about this movement is that it tackles everything. Boycotting the meat and dairy industry means boycotting the exploitation of animals, mistreated factory workers, ending poverty and it massively helps the environment.

What's been the highlight of your career so far?

I would say that the highlight of my career so far is being shortlisted for the ‘Women of the Future’ awards. To know that my efforts in spreading the vegan message and trying to create more jobs for women in film and theatre isn’t going to waste.

It makes you feel more energised and motivated to keep moving forward and working towards what you believe in.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

The best piece of advice I can think of is more of an inspirational quote that I probably found on the Instagram explore page. (Although, I should warn you, it’s incredibly cheesy). It’s, ‘you haven’t come this far, just to come this far’.

I love this because when you’re working in an industry as volatile and unpredictable as film and theatre, it’s easy to have moments when you just want to pack it all in and get a stable job. Whenever I feel like this, I usually just remind myself of what I’ve achieved and that I can’t just step off this foundation I’ve built and walk away from it.

What other women inspire you?

It’s got to be said, I love Phoebe Waller-Bridge (I mean, I must do, I’m doing a one-woman play). She’s a big inspiration for me because for a lot of my career, (especially when I was in my teens), I felt this pressure that as an actress you have to be this pristine, polished, gentle figure that women aim to be and men want to be with. It’s so toxic.

And then PWB came along and completely changed the narrative. She was outspoken, challenging, funny, rude, witty. All the parts of myself that I thought I had to repress if I ever wanted a career in film. I love that these women are taking the spotlight that they deserve and can be much better role models to young women.

What does female empowerment mean to you?

Female empowerment is something so close to my heart, as I think it is with a lot of women. For years (and still today), we have been patronised, sexualised and pitted against each other; not by all men but by the patriarchal structure we’re all subject to. Everyone suffers under this. I think with female empowerment, we can finally achieve equality and stop living in fear.

What's the one thing you cannot live without?

Tofu. Tofu is everything. Tofu is life. As is my phone.

What's next in 2021 and beyond?

Hopefully more Meat Cute! A predictable answer, but I have a lot of faith in this project and believe it can do well if we keep pushing it. I’d love to make a film adaptation one day but maybe that’s for a future where we have the money to make it with!