As public scrutiny surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files continues to spark debate about power, abuse, and accountability, more than 70 female playwrights and writers have come together in London to create an ambitious theatrical event designed to amplify the voices of victims and survivors. The production, titled All the Rage, transforms a former financial office building into a multi-room artistic experience that organizers describe as a response to the anger, frustration, and silence surrounding sexual exploitation and institutional power.
Transforming a Symbol of Power Into a Space for Resistance
Taking place across 15 rooms inside a former insurance building in London’s financial district, All the Rage was rapidly assembled by acclaimed playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz and a coalition of leading UK-based female writers.
The project features contributions from notable playwrights including Lucy Kirkwood, Penelope Skinner, Timberlake Wertenbaker, and Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. Each writer has created original scripts, poems, installations, and performances inspired by the themes emerging from the Epstein files and the broader conversations surrounding abuse, exploitation, and systemic silence.
“It’s a huge office that was all about men and money, and we’ve peopled it with a kind of female anarchy, which feels really exciting,” Lenkiewicz said.
The choice of venue was intentional, transforming a space traditionally associated with financial power into one centered on female voices and creative expression.
Centering Victims Instead of the Powerful
A central motivation behind the event is what organizers view as the lack of attention given to victims and survivors during media coverage of the Epstein case.
Lenkiewicz explained that she became increasingly frustrated with the focus on influential men and financial dealings rather than those who suffered abuse.
“Every day was full of the men and the money – so we thought it would be wonderful to have the female perspective on it,” she said.
The playwright, who previously wrote the 2022 film She Said about the investigation into Harvey Weinstein, emphasized that the event aims to challenge long-standing narratives surrounding sexual violence.
“A lot of the language around sexual violence and rape is about shame, and we want to shift the shame, we want the guilt to be with the perpetrators,” Lenkiewicz said.
She added, “A lot of it is about silencing voices, be it Weinstein’s victims or Epstein’s victims, and [maintaining] this institutional silence so perpetrators can keep going.”
“We want to smash it, and we want women and all victims to feel like they have a voice, because to be silenced is just horrific.”
Notably, Epstein and other high-profile figures are not directly portrayed in the production. As Lenkiewicz explained, “Those men have had enough oxygen.”
Personal Stories Become Acts of Healing
Beyond political commentary, many of the works featured in All the Rage draw from deeply personal experiences.
Lenkiewicz herself has written a letter addressed to a man from her own past. During the performance, the letter will be read aloud before being shredded in front of the audience.
“It’s like sending something into the world that you have never articulated before,” she said.
“Hopefully it feels like a release and quite cathartic. It was cathartic just to write it, actually, let alone hear it or know that it’s witnessed.”
Reflecting on the broader purpose of the event, she added, “A lot of this work is meant to be about sharing anger, but also something of healing.”
Penelope Skinner echoed the personal nature of the project, suggesting that many participants have experienced situations connected to the themes being explored.
She said that “probably every single writer” involved has “sadly got some personal experience in their lives” relevant to the event.
Exploring Power Through Symbolic Images
Several pieces in the production were inspired by specific images and moments associated with the Epstein files.
Skinner’s contribution centers on a photograph showing Prince Andrew alongside an unidentified woman.
“The thing that activated my piece was the photograph of Prince Andrew kneeling next to what appeared to be the body of a young woman, lying on her back with her face redacted, and I wanted to write a piece exploring that,” Skinner said.
“The photo is a very symbolic representation of the faceless [woman] and the powerful man, looking directly into the camera.”
No context has been publicly provided for the image, and it remains unclear where or when it was taken. Prince Andrew, who reached a financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre in 2022, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Lenkiewicz’s own work draws inspiration from Giuffre’s memoir detailing her allegations of abuse by Epstein and her accusations against the Duke of York.
A Collective Celebration of Solidarity and Creativity
For playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, the production represents more than anger alone. It is also about community, empowerment, and artistic collaboration.
Bhatti agreed that it “felt that female voices were drowned out” during much of the public discussion surrounding the Epstein files.
Visitors will move through performances and installations spread throughout the building before gathering for a final collective presentation.
“What Rebecca and the team have done is to offer a creative space that enables and centres a female perspective,” Bhatti said.
Drawing inspiration from the classic Bollywood film Pakeezah, Bhatti’s contribution references a scene in which a courtesan dances on broken glass.
She described All the Rage as “like a cauldron of creativity, because I think we’ve had enough.”
“I’m expecting a night that will be about rage, but will also be about power and connection and solidarity and love and freedom,” she added.
“This night is an invitation to share this experience, which I expect to be a thrilling window into the creativity and imaginative responses to this horror by 80 female writers.”
All the Rage reflects a growing movement among artists to challenge narratives surrounding power, abuse, and accountability by placing victims and survivors at the center of the conversation. Through poetry, performance, installation art, and personal storytelling, the event seeks not only to express anger but also to create space for healing, solidarity, and reflection. As audiences gather in London, the production stands as a powerful example of how art can transform outrage into collective action and meaningful dialogue.
