this is a scam.

Fake it ‘til you make it. Lean In. How far can you stretch the truth in the name of self-optimisation? When does charisma, boldness, and self-promotion become fraud? This play aims to find out.

Follow two young women as they attempt to become the CEOs of their own companies. One, playing by the book (literally), the other leaning towards fraud. For years, women have been flooded with great advice. Books like ‘Lean In’, ‘Girlboss’ and ‘Good Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office’ tell women how to behave in a male dominated work environment in order to succeed. At the same time, more and more stories arise of female con artists, scamming their way to the top. Inspired by true stories, this play looks at the differences and parallels between modern feminism and fraud, and attempts to make you laugh along the way.

Solvei and Anne met during their acting training at RADA in London in 2013. In 2023 they finally got around to writing a play together, something they’d been meaning to do for years. Influenced by a myriad of self-help books that left a bad taste in their mouths, as well as a rise of female con-artists like Elizabeth Holmes and Anna Delvey, they created a play that was shown 6 times at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023. Now the play has found it’s way to Luxembourg, where it will get a new life thanks to the collaboration with Jacques Schiltz as the director, as well as Marc Thein as the lighting designer.