We sat down with Krishna Istha to discuss their new play THUNDER THIGHS, playing as part of StoryFest at the National Youth Theatre on the 21st and 22nd of July. This play is a teen comedy-drama set against the backdrop of roller derby, an energetic sport played on roller skates that prides itself on being inclusive. Get your tickets here.
Krishna, what drew you to the world of roller derby as the setting for THUNDER THIGHS?
One of my favourite movies growing up was Whip It with Elliot Page. I was OBSESSED. Little did I know I was queer then, but what a queer film to be obsessed with (one where the lead is now also a trans guy!). In my adulthood, I’ve got pals who play derby and I’m generally surrounded by derby fans — it’s such a big part of queer culture in so many ways. And I’ve always wanted to write a “sports” play/film/TV show that wasn’t about cis men.
Roller derby is known for its inclusivity and chaotic energy—how do you capture that spirit in the play?
By depicting queer drama, obv! Honestly, it’s shaping up to be such a FUN and chaotic play (in the best possible way). The spirit of it is really coming through thanks to our director Nancy Zamit and assistant director Louise Beresford — they’re both incredible at creating fun and silliness, which is helping keep that DIY, underdogs, comedic energy alive on stage.
The team in THUNDER THIGHS are described as ‘lovable misfits’ and the play features queer characters. How important was it for you to tell a story with such diverse and vibrant characters?
So important! As a queer, trans person of colour, I rarely saw myself represented in anything until a few years ago — and even now, it’s slim pickings. Everything I make is about portraying diverse characters, but in an accessible way. The story isn’t even about how these characters are ‘diverse’, it’s mostly about friendship, which anyone can relate to. But very rarely do ‘diverse’ characters get to tell universal stories that aren’t about their marginalisation. This makes it sound so serious — but honestly, it’s just an hour of fun, with cute, fierce, funny characters that you wanna be BFFs with.
What’s the biggest ‘battle’ off the track that the team faces, and why do you think it resonates with young people today?
All these characters are going through different things in their lives — whether it’s being underestimated because of how they look, having a single mum and five siblings to take care of while balancing that with their derby commitment, or being totally scared of conflict (both physically and emotionally) but still sticking with the team because you don’t fit in anywhere else. There’s definitely a lot of classic teen angst that young people from any era could relate to — but there are also undertones of the stuff young people face today, like social media stress or the rise of right-wing politics that affect their identities in various ways. It’s about a bunch of very different young people finding family within this derby team — not because of, but in spite of, the outside world having wronged them.
Nancy Zamit is directing, bringing experience from Mischief Theatre. How does her comedic background influence the tone of the show?
Nancy is just incredible! This is a new collaboration, and I’ve loved working with her because she brings so much of the text to life visually and comedically. I’ve never written a ‘traditional’ play — I’ve done a lot of form-pushing theatre and written for screen — so it’s been wild to see how she takes what I write and stages it in such brilliant ways. A lot of silly physical comedy too, which I love! She’s HILARIOUS! We’ve also been working with assistant director Louise Beresford, who’s been a massive dramaturgical support and also ridiculously funny. We just did a week of R&D, and I honestly spent the entire week laughing my head off at what Nancy and Louise were coming up with in the room. A script can be funny, sure, but actually translating that to the stage is a whole other thing — without Nancy and Louise, this could’ve been an absolute disaster, haha!
If you had to describe THUNDER THIGHS in one roller derby term or phrase, what would it be?
BUTTS