THE BALLAD OF PARAGON STATION

‘What keeps you awake at night, Stacy Kay’?

Made in collaboration with photographer Jessica Mahaffey, ‘The ballad of paragon station’ examined an interlinked cast of nocturnal characters over one night between Hull and London, previewing at RADA Festival 2017. Inspired by Nan Goldin’s ‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency’ Ullyart and Mahaffey created a living, intimate portfolio story via film-still and interweaving character and monologue performance.

Dark, witty, profane and beautiful with searing honesty at it’s heart, a bursting snapshot thudding into the intimate lives of four interconnecting strangers with a shape-shifting central performance from HEster Ullyart.

What keeps you awake at night?

Hester’s debut play premiered at the RADA Festival London before going on to Hackney Showroom, Edinburgh Festival, Heads Up Festival, Lyttelton Arts Factory NZ and Hull Truck Theatre, UK. It received 4 and 5 star reviews consistently, marking her out as an emerging voice to watch.

In 2020 Hester took Ballad to the NZ Fringe in Wellington. She was nominated for three Fringe Awards, (Outstanding Solo Performer, Best in Fringe and Stellar Original Content) picking up the prize for ‘Stellar Original Content’.