Date of Interview: 7 November 2025
Interviewer: Rimi Solloway
Interviewee: Liz Sutherland
 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

So how did your journey with New Earth Theatre begin?

LIZ SUTHERLAND

Gosh, I first started with New Earth many moons ago with the production of Rashomon. It was my first job after graduating. I remember being so thrilled with the audition because it was a piece with real substance, and it was a terrific character, and I’d only been seen for little tiny parts in things up to this point. And I auditioned for a panel, so everyone was there other than Veronica. At that time, it was Tom, Kwong, Kumiko and David. 

And I can share an embarrassing story with you, but Rashomon was my first audition. I was so excited, really prepared. And we did some scenes, and then Tom walked me through some physical exercises because it was quite a physical show, and I remember I wore leggings which obviously didn’t have very much, enough lycra in back in the day because they split during my audition. I was so horrified. I just wanted the earth to swallow me up in that moment. 

And I remember Kwong just started giggling and broke the silence, thankfully so that we could all have a laugh about it. And I came away thinking, I’m never going to get that job, I really embarrassed myself. I remember the day when I found out that I’d got the job, and I was in my best friend’s garden in Brixton and got the phone call saying that I’d got it, and I was beyond thrilled. I was so happy. It was like my first paid acting job with these glorious people who got me, and I got them, and it was the start of my career. It was the start of everything for me. Honestly, I couldn’t have wished for a better start. 

I may not still be here in this business. I wouldn’t have lasted this long If I didn’t start with Yellow Earth. They were, they still are to me, Yellow Earth has given me confidence, which is so important in this business. You know, self-belief, fighting your corner. They gave me that which is crucial. 

Furthermore, they gave me a sense of belonging, which was extremely important in life. And I value our community beyond words. New Earth has been from the very start, my home. And they’re my family. They’re my foundations. I still draw strength from them in all my work since. I’m extremely blessed to have Yellow Earth in my veins, New Earth blood running through me because I think they’ve achieved so much. 

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

So the first production that you were in, Rashomon sounds amazing. What role did you play in it? And do you have any more memories from that Rashomon, the first production that you were in professionally?

LIZ SUTHERLAND

I don’t remember what role it was. I remember it was being directed by all the members at the time. So it was so collaborative. And I remember it was one of the hardest jobs I’ve done physically. I remember Tom would do his best and he is a brilliant teacher training us up for these physical shows. He’s an incredible, very generous man. 

And he himself would be up at five in the morning before any of us, you know, even on tour, he’d be up at five, running up that hill and back again before breakfast. He was always so inspiring, and I’m sure that’s the only time I’ve had a six pack in my life is when I’ve worked with Tom. 

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

Why was the role so physical? Can I ask? 

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

Oh, we had a very sort of stylised presentation, and we did a lot of work with fans and fabrics, and we were moving things about, and we just got very strong during the tour. I remember it being  tremendous, I’d done so many happy tours with Yellow Earth. I have a lot of memories of bumbling along some country lanes in beautiful Britain. Back in the day I’d sit in the front navigating. I was satnav and I would feed Kwong like sweets and hot cross buns and things while we’d trundle along. It was just such an adventure. So much fun. 

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

Where did you go on tour? Is it with Rashomon or was it with another production? 

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

Oh gosh, so I can’t remember, but I’ve done Rashomon, Lear’s Daughters, Butcher’s Skin, 58, Festival For The Fish, all the Typhoons. And I did R&D on Boom and Wave. So we’ve worked together a lot over the years. I’ve been so fortunate to be able to keep working with Yellow Earth, who brings these incredible artists together, you know, and created a sense of a real community where people could honestly collaborate. It’s so freeing and quite rare, really, these days too.

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

What was the process of working so much with New Earth?

LIZ SUTHERLAND

Thinking back, I think I auditioned for most of them. I think a couple of the older ones, the later ones where we’d worked, you know, several years in a row together, I hadn’t auditioned. But you’re just aware of what projects are coming up and you hear about things you want to jump in with. But I’ve always respected the process because it’s made me feel like an individual with a voice, with my own expressions, and they’re very free and open to that. Not everyone is. More often than not, you’ll find you get boxed up in this world, and people want you to tick certain boxes for them, whereas New Earth never did that. They were always genuinely exploring with you. And that’s incredibly liberating and empowering as an actor.

RIMI SOLLOWAY

Why do you think New Earth were more collaborative, or what were the styles that they used in their direction or devising plays? Just explain more because you were part of the process for so much of it. 

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

Perhaps there’s an unsaid given, that we’ve all traveled to Britain to make a new life for ourselves in the arts, and there’s a shared sense of experience there. And I think with that comes a shared mutual respect. And then with that unlocks so many doors, because you are then in a supported, safe space where you are really listened to, and then you are able to create and explore even the darkest recesses of what it is to be human and to be alive, the conditions of life. I think actors are vulnerable creatures, and New Earth is very good at looking after their people and creating, establishing that space to play and explore. That isn’t always the way. Sometimes rehearsals can be very regimented. You know, with other companies you might not sit in on scenes that you’re not rehearsing with or, you know, whereas Yellow Earth is much more open and receptive to different ways of exploring and enjoying, as well as always supporting their people. 

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

Because you just gave such a long list of productions you’re part of. Is there anything that you want to, you know, remember from any of those productions, particularly?

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

Because it was so long agoI don’t have specific details, but I have an overall feeling of joy, of achievement, of the work that they’ve championed over the years. Given the generations to come, much more voice and freedom, opportunities to express themselves, to introduce their own heritage in vibrant and exciting ways to British audiences. 

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

One of the questions here, which I think fits perfectly with what you’re saying. And maybe you can then explore it more is how has New Earth contributed to the visibility of British, East and Southeast Asian artists and stories? 

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

I think they have produced such wonderful shows, plays that have universal themes that anyone can identify with. And they’ve presented them in ways that are British, East and Southeast Asian, as well as bringing in elements of Southeast Asian heritage, wherever that story may be from, to a British audience. Which I think really sparks the imagination and brings communities closer together. 

And I think with visual arts and the plays that they do that they’re funny, they’re heartwarming, they have a message, they have strong female characters, which is what it’s all about for me. Realistic women and their struggles in life, that sort of very honest storytelling, I think has made an impression on British audiences. And has bought us some currency in this world to be taken more seriously and to be of interest, to open people’s boxes up and go, oh, right, I didn’t realise or gosh, we share so much in common. Even though we may be very different in terms of class, heritage, culture. It’s that human experience I think that New Earth are so good at bringing to light. 

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

Do you think the British theatre landscape has changed because of the work that New Earth Theatre has brought onto the stage? 

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

Absolutely. You know, back in my day, there was Miss Saigon. That was it, you know. And for someone like me who can’t, who has a voice that would tread souls, it was like, how am I ever going to get in the West End? Never. Well, look at it now. There’s much more diversity now. And that is because actors need work. Like any other job. You need to get into a job to cut your teeth, to explore, learn what your strengths and weaknesses are. And the only time you can do that is with real practice and whatever New Earth do, whether it’s a production, R&D, a poetry reading or play reading festival, all of that helps because all the experience that you get and the confidence that you get that comes with it, feeds directly into how you’re going to approach your next production, director, casting director. British audiences that now expect so much more. And we deliver things that are cutting edge and thought provoking and topical. So I salute the work of New Earth. 

They’ve championed British and East and Southeast Asians for thirty years, and the results are clear to me as an actor, the opportunities that I get nowadays compared to thirty years ago, they’re vastly different. I hope that I know that the new generation that I see now, that’s part of New Earth, they’re just going to keep running with it, you know, and that’s extremely rewarding, inspiring. And you just think, well, what else can we achieve? What else can we, you know, keep going. And the battle is never won. But for me, I’m extremely lucky I got to hone my craft in my early formative years with the most supportive, wonderful people. 

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

In your early years, when you were forming your craft or maybe even still today were there any challenges that you had to face being British or East Southeast Asian on stage? 

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

As a mixed race actor, that’s a tricky question because I think people’s perception varies so much. And I think if you are Southeast Asian mixed race, there isn’t still a niche in the market, as it were. We’ve seen more Eurasians getting bigger jobs, which is great. 

But I don’t know how rooted they are in both aspects of their culture and how that may not necessarily be, I mean, in some ways it’s great that it doesn’t, it shouldn’t matter. And you can play that role. And in other ways you think, okay, well, you still want the heritage to come through and to come with that, because I think if you are Afro-Caribbean mixed race, there is more of a place for you in the casting world, say, than if you are Southeast Asian mixed race. So I think those are ongoing challenges about, you know, identity and belonging and also, you know, how we look like isn’t necessarily, you know, I think for some actors, certainly decades ago, if you were a Caucasian actor and you looked like you could or even say, now, Ben Kingsley, you know, somebody who can play all these different parts and not be held back. 

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

How would you like to be involved in something like New Earth for the next generation, for carrying on into the future? 

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

I would like to give back. I would like to get to know the new artistic director. I know Kumiko very well and see if there are opportunities for me to either help with workshops perhaps, or to volunteer for things. See what R&D might be coming up. Things they’re interested in. I’m thinking about writing. 

So again, I will seek support from Yellow Earth about where to begin with that. And I just want to help and guide the next generation in whatever way I can. Don’t get me wrong, I have terrible imposter syndrome, right? I just don’t feel like I would be some kind of mentor. But there must be some skills that I have that would help. So, you know, perhaps in that sort of way, yes, it’s about New Earth always going to be part of my life. I’m very blessed for that. And I want to feed back however I can, as well as continue to work with them in every way I can. 

 

RIMI SOLLOWAY

And what do you hope for the new generation of actors coming through the New Earth Theatre programmes and, you know, being in their plays? What kind of world do you want them to be in? 

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

I want them to be in worlds that haven’t got as many barriers and stop signs. In worlds that don’t want the stereotype, they want the real deal. In a world where young people can be truly confident and to know their self-worth. It’s an easy thing to say, but actually, I think a lot of actors struggle with this, and we need a supportive community. You know, people to do scenes with, audition with whatever it is. Practical elements. I’m a very pragmatic person. That’s the sort of way I hope to work with Yellow Earth going forward. 

I really hope that the younger generation that are starting are feeling that anything is possible, that there are no limits, that their individuality is beautiful and that there’s a place for them in this industry to be respected and seen as somebody to be taken seriously and not somebody who’s just thrown into the mix. 

You know, the push for diversity at the moment is great. But again, it tends to be the Afro-Caribbean community and the Asian communities that tend to benefit more, I feel, than Southeast Asian communities do. So I hope to see more actors in regular roles across stage and screen. Because we are here. We have been in society for a long time. It’s insane. 

No Filipino roles in Casualty or Holby or any medical dramas. Give me a break. We want a reflection of our society and this is what it looks like not just in London, but across all the major cities in Britain and smaller communities too. And we’ve just got to keep telling our stories because and fight for them to be heard, because our spaces, I think, are still being fought for. They’re not out there yet. Our platforms are still being built.

RIMI SOLLOWAY

What kind of stories do you want New Earth Theatre to be doing? 

 

LIZ SUTHERLAND

I’d like to see some real feminist pieces. Of course I’d love that. Maybe something different, like horror or something, a different genre to explore. And gosh, I hope Typhoons come back because I think actually getting work out there, people to hear it, it’s crucial. It’s just volume as well. It presents so much. I think those are such exciting opportunities for everyone. So I hope there’s more play reading festivals.