I'm a big believer in using the power of live storytelling to enable us to reflect upon a particular subject matter. This is why I create theatre and why we as an organisation put so much time, effort and money into putting on this ephemeral art form.
855-FOR-TRUTH puts several cards on the table: how do we overcome polarisation; who do we put our faith into; and how can young people confront today's climate realities without the hopelessness of ecoanxiety. And it is this last question that particularly drew me to 855-FOR-TRUTH. Theatre (and art, in general) has a place in the debates about the world we want to create by enabling us to imagine alternate futures and alternate positions. And while the play does not give us any answers here, it does leave us with one crucial, albeit intangible, element to life: hope. And I hope you leave the theatre tonight remembering to keep hope in your hearts during these complex times.
Theatre gives us a rare, distraction-free place where we can sit and hear people live out their hopes and dreams. And with 855-FOR-TRUTH we have given the floor to the Youth. The setting may be unfamiliar, but their fears for the future and their perspectives on life, love and work are something that all of us can relate to, even if we are a couple (ahem) of years older than 18. This is very much a play about youth, for youth, by youth and it speaks so truthfully of our moment in history. I am very proud to have brought this unpublished work to the stage and I hope you enjoy watching the unique-for-Brussels spectacle that we have created.
For those of you encountering us for the first time: Hello!
The Bridge Theatre is a tiny nonprofit, elevating the cultural life of Brussels so that it better reflects the linguistic diversity of this city. We implement our many activities in English, a language that is used daily by 47% of the city's population, and improve the life and wellbeing of people in this city who do not feel comfortable enough to "do" culture in French or Dutch (or those who simply want to be in a more international environment, which naturally happens with Europe's current lingua franca.
We love doing what we do and we hope you do to but we are pushing against the limits of what we can achieve without external support. Culture costs but fortunately the majority of those costs go towards paying artists for their time. If you would like to support artists to create great works like the one tonight, please consider leaving a donation. And if you have more than a few Euros to spare, I would be delighted to have a conversation with any potential major donors out there. Many thanks.
Born and raised in Dublin, Molly Hanley just made her Irish stage debut as "Connie Millington" in Youth's The Season - ? written by Mary Manning and directed by Sarah Jane Scaife at the Abbey Theatre. She graduated from Bristol Old Vic in 2024 after winning the Theatre Club Music Award in 2023. Other credits include Rhubarb and Custard performed at both Bloomsbury and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Max’s recent film work includes The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Lionsgate), Executioner (Lovebomb Pictures), Black Beauty (Disney+), and Slaughterhouse Rulez (Sony International). On television, he appeared in Don’t Lick the Walls (Scribble Creative).
Eva Hudson is an English-Irish writer and director, who trained as a playwright at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Her plays have been performed at theatres including Ustinov, Bath, Bristol Old Vic and Arcola, London. Her theatre work has been praised as 'incredible scriptwriting [...] Hudson's script had me questioning everything I thought I knew' (Broadway World), 'wonderful, inventive and thought provoking' (John Hodge, BAFTA winning writer of Trainspotting (1996)) and 'very touching [...] very funny when it shouldn't be and then very beautifully tragic' (Rebecca Lenkievicz, Academy Award Winning writer of Ida (2013) and Hot Milk (2025)). Her most recent work includes an upcoming tour of her play LIFE BEFORE YOU in 2025/2026, and a short film, 'I Knew Her Before She Was A Virgin', which screened at international film festivals, and for which she won multiple awards.
She has a first class degree in English Literature from University College London, and is longlisted for the Theatre503 International Playwriting Award 2025. Her first project for screen, DEAD NET, is currently under a shopping agreement with Hell Fire! Productions, and she is on the Exeter Northcott Emerging Writers' programme.
Committed to the development and staging of new writing, Lydia’s work centres human connection & character at its heart, with hints of the fantastical in her staging. She co-founded Gentlewomen Production House and is literary assistant at the Finborough Theatre. She trained on the MA Drama Directing course at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and is represented by Lou Davidson at Simon & How Associates. Recent productions include: ONE OF THE BOYS (The Playground Theatre), Cancer B*tch! (Burton Taylor Studio, Oxford Playhouse), The Project (Brockley Jack).
Ellie Wintour is a set and costume designer working across theatre, fashion, music, and exhibition design. She studied English Literature at the University of York before training in Theatre Design at Wimbledon College of Art. She spent three years at Es Devlin’s studio as an Associate Designer, leading on Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia (World Tour), the promenade dance piece Salamander (Brisbane Festival), The Crucible (The National Theatre, Gielgud Theatre), Here Not Here (Gothenburg Opera House), and Beyoncé’s Renaissance (World Tour).
Her theatre credits as a designer include Thanks for Having Me (Riverside Studios); Dead Dad Death Cult (Battersea Arts Centre); Florence (The Other Palace); Chef (The Gaiety Theatre; Scottish Tour); Miss I-doll (The Other Palace), Radiant Vermin (The Bridge Theatre), One of the Boys (Playground Theatre); Sisters Three (Summerhall), Blizzard (Soho Theatre), Grounded (The Bridge Theatre) in Brussels, Her Green Hell (Theatre Royal Plymouth, Bath Ustinov Studios), A Guest (Vault Festival), and For a Palestinian at (Camden People’s Theatre). She was a co-creative director of Porridge Radio’s headline show at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, having previously designed sets for their last two albums, Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky and Every Bad.
Further credits as a 3D designer for Tom Scutt include Alexander McQueen A/W25 & A Moon for the Misbegotten (Almeida Theatre) & for Michael Levine, Die Frau Ohne Schatten at Aix en Provence 2026.
Mark Fenton is a sound designer, composer and writer for stage and screen exploring the intricate relationship between text and sound. He founded the new writing company Tiny Change Theatre in 2018 and created shows for venues as large as Southwark Playhouse to as intimate as living rooms. Passionate about dismantling barriers and making theatre more accessible, Mark works with underheard voices championing bold and exciting new ideas. His sound design utilises immersive soundscapes, emotional original compositions and the best of popular music. Recent sound design credits include The Project (Hope Theatre), All That Glitters (Theatre503) and Cancer B*tch (Oxford Playhouse).
Brett was born in Guelph, Canada and graduated from Rose Bruford College with a BA (Hons) in Lighting Design previously graduating with honours in Technical Production for Theatre and Live events from Sheridan College. Brett's goal in theatre and the arts is to work with others who want to challenge normal conventions. Whether this is through the people, and stories told on stage or in production meetings, he wants to ensure that every voice is heard to create the best art possible. Having worked and studied in multiple countries, Brett's Lighting Design continues to evolve to be ever more creative and inspiring.
Selected credits include: Heathers (Theatre Sheridan), 855-For-Truth (Gentlewomen Production House), Macbeth (Action to the Word), The Hunt (Rose Bruford College), Amelie (Guildford School of Acting), Wendy and Peter Pan (Watermill Theatre), Once Upon a Mattress (Guildford School of Acting), Animal Farm (Rose Bruford College Wigan), Human Nurture (Theatre-Centre), Moon Hares (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment), Ghost Train (The Assembly Project), Traveling Light (Rose Bruford College), Chopped Logic (Action to the Word), Daylighting (Royal Academy of Music), Epic Love and Pop Songs (Tiny Wife Productions), Katzenmusik (London School of Dramatic Arts), Abigail's Party (Rose Bruford College), The Returned (Portal Dance Company), Romeo and Juliet (Notorious Theatre Company), Hamlet (Urban Arts Project), Macbeth (Notorious Theatre Company), Midsummer Night's Dream (Urban Arts Project), The Tempest (Urban Arts Project).
Production Manager: Steve Bree
Stage Manager: Elsa Gear
Our Post-Show Talks take place in the theatre auditorium just after the end of the play. Grab a drink at the bar and join us for a discussion (of 30-45 minutes) with an inspiring speaker making the link between the themes of the play and our everyday lives and realities.
The theme for the talks for this production: Finding Connection in a Polarised World
Q&A with Eva Hudson and Lydia McKinley, writer and director of 855-FOR-TRUTH
Omri Preiss, Managing Director of Alliance4Europe
Democratic Participation in a Digital Age
Kira Taylor, Freelance Energy and Climate Reporter and Podcaster
Communicating on Climate across Divides
Chloé Mikolajczak, Climate Activist and Influencer
What Does It Mean to be an Environmental and Social Justice Activist in Brussels
Paul Musiol, Communications Officer, Greenpeace EU Unit
Hope Through Action
Q&A with Molly Hanly,
who plays Meredith in 855-FOR-TRUTH
Magdalena Liskova,
Head of Institutional Relations at Bozar
Welcoming Diverse Voices into a Cultural Establishment
The Production is an adaptation of an earlier version of 855-FOR-TRUTH, originally produced by Gentlewomen Productions in February 2025.
The Bridge Productions ASBL
Siege Social (not the location of the theatre): Boulevard Anspach 170, Brussels 1000
VAT: BE0764.409.884
Copyright © 2025 The Bridge Theatre, Brussels - All Rights Reserved
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