As Artistic Director of Camden People’s Theatre in the heart of London, Rio Matchett is determined to lead with purpose – and joy. Her first fully curated season opens with Every Body Festival, a new, disabled-led celebration of creativity, connection and political resistance. With work from artists including FUSE Theatre and Deafinitely Theatre, the programme showcases everything from digital premieres to late-night cabarets – with accessibility built in from the ground up. Here, Rio reflects on fighting systemic injustice, crying over space dogs, and why joy is the muscle she’s learning to train.
This is your first full season since joining CPT – why did you choose to lead with Every Body Festival, and what can you tell us about it?
There are two things that run through CPT like a stick of rock – joy and politics. That’s been clear to me since before I started the job, and it’s why I applied. There are so many vital political conversations to be had at the moment, but I suppose I opened with this one because it’s the cause that aligns most with my own lived experience, and therefore the one I felt most able to authentically hit the ground running on. The disabled theatre community has been a huge support to me through my career, and personal life, and there’s no way that wasn’t coming with me into this new role. Not to mention – the work is so, so good. Audiences want creativity, innovation and originality, and that’s overflowing in every single show and event during the festival. We’ve got new writing, cabaret, music, devised work, and discussions and workshops. Every single event or show through the festival also has audience accessibility at its core, whether that’s including BSL for sign language users, captioning for the hard of hearing, audio description for the visually impaired, or a relaxed atmosphere curated to be enjoyable for neurodivergent audiences.
You added Balancing the Books – the panel on PIP and Access to Work – in direct response to Labour’s proposed reforms. Why was it important to include that kind of urgent political programming?
The original programme was really focused on disabled joy, which was itself a political choice. I didn’t want any of the artists to feel they had to make work about being disabled, it was just about platforming exciting creative voices. But, when the government announced the planned cuts, it became impossible not to address – I don’t think audiences fully appreciate how devastating to the theatre industry cuts to PIP and Access to Work would be. Without those schemes, many of the artists we’ve programmed would not be able to work, because they wouldn’t have access to vital tools like interpreters, note takers or accessible travel. The whole industry would be worse off without the diversity of voice and talent that the disabled community contributes. And disabled creatives WANT to work, they want to make art, they want to entertain and provoke and bring joy to audiences. So, we decided to bring together artists and activists to expose the potential impact of the proposed cuts, to bring audiences into the conversation, and to work out what we’re going to do about it.
What’s your take on the wider state of disability justice in the arts sector right now – are we moving forward?
Pfffft. Yes and no. Disabled led organisations like Graeae and Deafinitely Theatre have been moving the industry forwards for decades, and we’re definitely starting to see more access and representation in the ‘mainstream’. Robert Icke’s 2024 production of Oedipus was the first time a blind actor has ever played the role of (blind!) Tiresias in the West End, and TV shows like Code of Silence with Rose Ayling-Ellis are centring disabled actors in complex, interesting roles. But, just weeks after Icke’s production, the Old Vic announced a sighted actor would be ‘cripping up’ (my words…not theirs) to play Tiresias. So many big, well funded venues are still totally physically inaccessible, and let’s not even get started on Michelle Terry’s Richard III at the Globe last year. The question isn’t about the arts sector I think, it’s about the state of disability justice across society – and that continues to be a horror show, and a beacon of hope and solidarity, the same as it’s ever been.
Is there a piece in the programme that surprised or moved you in a way you didn’t expect?
Hmmmm! I’ve worked with or seen most of the artists before, and I rate them ALL so highly, I don’t know if surprised is the right word! The one that’s really moved me so far is Laika, a new play by Roni Neale which we’re developing in partnership with Paines Plough. It’s a story about a disabled astronaut given a choice about whether to try and save humanity or start again, it’s very funny, but the ghost of Laika (the first dog in space!) hovers over the whole thing, and honestly – dogs make me cry. I think it’s a smart move for any writer to include a sympathetic animal hahaha!
What do you hope people will say about Every Body Festival once it’s over?
That they can’t wait to see more – more from these artists, and more from disabled artists in general. The industry ultimately follows demand, and so when audiences show up and support work, that’s when you see it getting consistently programmed. I hope people will see how we can make work accessible on a fringe scale and with small budgets, and I hope people will say CPT is a place that every body can feel truly welcome.
And finally – what’s bringing you joy right now (apart from programming a full-blown disabled-led festival)?
So many things! I reckon joy is a muscle, and you have to train it, like going to the gym. I’ve been writing lists of joyful things in my notes to help train my joy-muscles for years, so here’s my most recent three – 1. A nice man gave me a discount on my coffee for smiling, 2 – When my cat gets sleepy at 9pm and puts herself to bed, and 3 – The bit in Simon & Garfunkel’s Mrs Robinson when the tambourine kicks in. It’s cheesy, but I really believe that protecting our joy is a political act, and we need to stay in shape so we can keep fighting!
The ’Every Body’ Festival – a bold, disabled-led celebration of performance, protest and connection will run at the Camden People’s Theatre from 29th June to 13th July. For tickets and more information, visit: www.cptheatre.co.uk/festivals/EveryBody
