Mariah Louca is an actor who has appeared on stage at many of the UK’s major theatres. At the age of 40, Mariah made the decision to start disclosing within the arts industry that she is trans. Soon, the range of parts she was being seen for began to narrow to specifically trans-focused roles, limiting her opportunities and slowing her emerging career as a successful actor.

A year ago, in May 2024, alongside Kim Tatum and Reece Lyons, Mariah issued a call to the industry – appearing in the Guardian newspaper calling for trans women to be seen for a greater range of roles.

A year on from that public call and in the wake of a major legal ruling in the UK on gender, Mariah is in conversation with Royal Court Artistic Director David Byrne, giving insight into the challenges facing transwomen in theatre, what the response to her campaign has been, and what theatres can do now to support transwomen at this challenging moment for the transgender community.

This conversation took place on Tuesday 3rd June in the Royal Court's Jerwood Theatre Downstairs.

Videography by Monika Davies

The Royal Court Theatre is the writers’ theatre. It is the leading force in world theatre for energetically cultivating writers – undiscovered, emerging and established. The Royal Court is located in London, UK.

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