Audio recording of the critically acclaimed play “Don’t Harm the Animals” written and performed by Joanna Pickering, following its Global Stage showcase and programming at Hay Festival 2026.

Written & Performed by Joanna Pickering
Engineered by Scott Hollingsworth

Critical Acclaim:
'Impossible to Look Away' — Emma Stoddard, TL27 Magazine
'The most striking live performance at Hay Festival” Emma Stoddard, TL27 Magazine
'Powerful and Scorching Writing' — Hay Festival, UK
'Raw, Emotional Honesty on Stage' — Günter Maria Bregulla, TL27 Magazine
'A Powerhouse of Performance' — Chain Theater, NYC
'Raw, Watchful and Impossible To Dismiss' — Theater Beyond Broadway
'A Sharp Emotional Gut Punch' — Big Fat Cult
“Strong, Tense, Unflinchingly Honest—Opens up Important Conversations” Theater Critic, Louise Penn
“In Pickering’s refusal to look away, something radical is happening—the demand to be heard, and the hope being heard may change something.” — Theater Beyond Broadway

Originally Directed by Multi-BAFTA winner Philip John (Downton Abbey, Outlander, Marvel) at Hay Festival 2026, UK, and Melody Brooks (2023, USA). Don’t Harm the Animals was programed at the world’s leading Hay literature festival, sponsored by the BBC, and included a showcase from the global stage to a 1,800 theater audience, 2M+ digital viewers, across 70 countries. It was programmed alongside global events including Gisèle Pelicot and Malala Yousafzai. The play addresses strong female agenda and carries a trigger warning for sexual violence.

Cover Artwork: 'Leap' courtesy of Michael McConnell (@poopingrabbit)
Special Acknowledgments and thanks to: Sean Ono Lennon, Michael McConnell, Lisa Hershfield at Platinum Sound, Eric Krebs Theatrical Management.

Running Time: 16 mins
Content Advisory: Carries a trigger warnings for sexual assault.