Cyprus Week- Tuesday 21 July

Maria is a multi-disciplinary creator making social and political issues accessible through theatre, writing, podcasts and events. She started her career as a secondary school teacher and went on to write in an educational context for organisations including the BBC, Channel 4 and The National Theatre, as well as a number of national and international NGO’s. Maria was the lead writer on a BAFTA award winning team making politics relevant to young people through gamification. She has also produced a number a large events. Her first play, Strong, debuted at the SEEN Festival Lewisham in October 2025, produced by Nouveau Riche, and had its second run at The Etcetera Theatre in March 2026 as part of the Women Writers Festival in Camden.

Phil Ryan is an international musician with an extraordinary life story. From his first beginnings in small folk clubs to lead singer for The Animals performing to a 100,000 crowd in Red Square in Moscow in the 90’s, his life reads like a movie script. Playwright, Author, Entrepreneur, helping set up The Big Issue and the legendary 12 Bar club he’s been busy. His whole list of achievements just too long to set down here. As an acknowledged acoustic guitar player and songwriter, he’s back to his globetrotting life, playing in the UK and across Europe. When he played at The Bardentreffen in Nuremberg a few years back, the main newspapers music critic (Nuremberger Nachrichten) simply said at the time “Phil Ryan is playing - do not miss him” (look him up on Wikipedia – he will surprise you!)