Three Billion Letters
Photography and Design: Douglas Coghlan
Three Billion Letters is a dynamic theatrical performance happening at the intersection of art and science. Created from the teams’ personal DNA test results, the show mixes data and text to investigate how heritage defines us, taking a look into health predispositions, self worth, and biological/cultural identities.
How does knowing one’s DNA influence our current reality and the path forward as we continue to build a sense of our existence? Could we change the way we see ourselves in relationship with the world around us?
The line between us is blurred, with 99.9% similarity, the seemingly insignificant becomes so powerful in what makes us us.
We invite you to leave your trace with us!
Created and Produced by TAKDAJA
Performers and Text: Mimmi Bauer, Patrycja Dynowska, Michał Szpak
Lighting Design: Theodor Spiridon
Sound Design and Vocals: Jovana Backović
Set Design: Helen Hebert
Specialised Construction (Claw): Callum Daniel Fellows
Directed by Mimmi Bauer and Theodor Spiridon
Scientific Advisor: Michał Szpak
Supported by
Riverside Studios, Norwich Arts Centre, Theatre Deli, University of Greenwich/Bathway Theatre, London LGBT+ Centre, Arts Council England, Greenwich Theatre, Camden People's Theatre, Goethe-Institut, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Queer Britain and Queercircle.
Reviews
“In a venn diagram consisting of theatre and science, TAKDAJA's Three Billion Letters sits directly in the centre of it. Pushing the boundaries of what theatre can be, this fascinating piece of performance art explores what really makes us who we are, taking audience members on a rollercoaster ride through ethics, genetics, emotion, and humour.”
– Alex King for Step Behind the Stage (2025)
““Is it a play? Is it a science lesson? Is it a public forum? Yes. Three Billion Letters feels like it was created in a lab by sewing together dug-up pieces of other concepts. (…) And it’s undeniably fun: the cast, Mimmi Bauer, Patrycja Dynowska and Michał Szpak, do a great job of keeping up the energy and creating laughs throughout. Even with a nervous crowd, they’re able to put them at ease and invite participation.”
– Jim Compton-Hall for The Upcoming (2025)
“We are delighted to report that real fringe theatre is back. The invigorating, daring, challenging, form-subverting kind of venture that makes the stage its playground. We haven’t encountered anything like this since before Covid. It’s genuinely unexpected. The production forgoes all linearity, almost rejecting the idea of telling a singular story in order to open up to a universal narrative. So, what is it about? Genes and ancestry, nature and modernity.”
– Cindy Marcolina for Broadway World U.K. (2025)
Performance History
12 — 17 August 2025: Riverside Studios
01 December 2024: Norwich Arts Centre (Work-in-Progress)
06 June 2023: Greenwich Theatre (Research and Development Sharing)
