Patria o Muerte - Leo Oliva Interview

Patria o Muerte is a visceral new play set across the decades of the Cuban Revolution, interweaving myth, history, and political tragedy. 

Drawing from the legacy of Macbeth, the play centers on Fidel Castro as a man whose unchecked ambition poisons every relationship including those with his brother Raúl, and the revolutionary icon Che Guevara. In English and Spanish, the play echoes the rhythms of both Shakespeare and Latin American political theatre. At its core, this is a story about who gets to lead, who is silenced, and who survives to tell the tale. Rooted in lived experience and diasporic memory, Patria o Muerte places Hispanic and BIPOC voices at the center of the classical conversation.

The piece is written by Leo Oliva who also stars in the production. We sat down Leo to learn more.

Patria o Muerte is such a compelling work. Can you share what inspired you to take on a project that blends elements of the Cuban Revolution with Shakespearean tragedy? 

Inspiration is a funny thing, sometimes it strikes out of the blue, and sometimes it arises from necessity. When I began my Classical Master’s at LAMDA, the idea of
a thesis presentation came up just as Macbeth was having a major run in London, and it completely captured my attention. My family’s history in Cuba has always been a defining part of my creative voice, and somehow, the pieces began to click. Both Macbeth and the Cuban Revolution share haunting parallels: each has its “witches”, in Cuba’s case, the Santeras of Afro-Cuban religion; each revolves around power, prophecy, and betrayal. Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista government in 1959 with his brother Raúl as one of his closest allies, mirroring Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, while Che Guevara’s fate, like Banquo’s, became a ghostly reminder of ambition and betrayal. Though rooted in history, Patria o Muerte also embraces rumour and myth, making the story all the more compelling.

The interplay between history and myth in the play is striking. How did you approach merging these elements while keeping the essence of both intact? 

My approach has always been to let the story tell itself. The parallels between Macbeth and the Cuban Revolution gave me the skeleton, but my tutors and advisors at LAMDA encouraged me to let go of Shakespeare’s structure and allow my own history to guide me. As a first-generation Cuban-American raised among the exile community in Miami, I wanted to explore both sides
-the human beings behind the revolutionary myth, and the myths the exiles built to soothe their own loss. Blending real speeches and moments in history with imagined private thoughts and conversations, I sought to explore how a dream of independence and equality could devolve into the fractured Cuba we know today.

It sounds like Patria o Muerte emerged as a response to today’s climate as well. Why do you believe this play is particularly relevant now? 

While Patria o Muerte wasn’t conceived as a direct response to today’s political climate, its relevance feels inescapable. We see echoes of 1959 Cuba in countries like Venezuela and Nicaragua, where repression of thought clashes with the courage of dissent. When we look at the larger picture, we realise that some ideologies sound extraordinary in theory, yet fail in practice when human ambition and corruption distort their original ideals. For me the Cuban story, with all its brilliance and tragedy, still resonates wherever people are fighting for or struggling to hold on to freedom.

You have a background in both writing and acting. How do these roles influence each other in your work? 

I found my way to writing through acting. After completing an intensive two-year acting course with my teacher Alex Taylor in Los Angeles, I became impatient with the quality - or lack thereof - of the roles I was auditioning for. So I decided to create my own work. I believe we all have a story to tell, but the challenge lies in being brave enough to tell it truthfully. My Meisner training taught me to seek the human truth behind every character and circumstance. That search guides both my acting and my writing. It’s about revealing something deeply vulnerable and universal for audiences to connect with.

It’s fascinating to see how your creative processes interconnect. As a writer, how does collaborating with other playwrights and creators shape your work? 

I’ve learned that every artist has their own process, and I take what resonates with me, eating the fish and discarding the bones, so to speak. Each project demands its own process of discovery. Hearing other writers discuss their journeys reminds me that we’re not alone in this craft, and nothing compares to the moment when you finally hear your work read aloud by gifted actors, it changes everything.

How do you physically and mentally prepare for a performance? 

Empathy is always my entry point. That doesn’t mean excusing a character’s actions, but understanding that, in their own eyes, they were doing the best they could. I search for what drives them, often a need for love, recognition, or belonging. My Meisner background reminds me that every action stems from an emotional truth, and connecting to that truth is where performance begins.

What was the first piece of theatre you saw which had a big impact on you? 

The first piece of theatre that truly impacted me wasn’t one I watched, it was one I performed in. Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz invited me, last minute, to join the world premiere of his play Hotel Desiderium, where I portrayed a blind Italian painter named Dante. It was a huge undertaking, and working with Nilo and the ensemble gave me a new appreciation for the depth and discipline of theatre-making. Building a character from the ground up in that collaborative environment made me fall in love with the process even more than film or television.

What are you hopes you’ll take away from this staging? 

My hope is this sharing is a stepping stone for Patria o Muerte to finding its next home. It’s a project with big ambitions and a lot of heart, that is asking for a space where it can fully come to life. With the help of my amazing team, Elissa Gerrand (Producer), Gus Hodgson(Director), Keziah Ferguson(Set Design), and Velia de Nicola(Sound Design), as well as my brilliant cast, Diego Zozaya(Raúl Castro), George Steane(Che Guevara), and Natalia May (Vilma Espin), we’re making the most of the incredible opportunity Riverside Studios has provided through R&D, and I’d love to see it developed further, with partners who are excited about bilingual and cross-cultural theatre.

What do you hope audiences take away from Patria o Muerte? 

I hope audiences come away with a renewed curiosity about the lesser-known sides of the Cuban Revolution, and that the echoes of Macbeth spark deeper reflections about power, faith, and destiny. In this current excerpted staging, we’ve focused on the Revolution’s key figures, but the full piece reaches beyond them, into the world of Santería and the Revolution’s impact on everyday Cubans, which continues to be felt to this very day. It is their stories I wish to tell, their voices I want to empower through the stage. If audiences walk away wanting to learn more and to question what they’ve been told, then I’ve done my job.

Patria o Muetre will be staged on Sunday 23rd November 2025 at Riverside Studios. Tickets are available from https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/patria-o-muerte-the-revolutionary-tragedy-of-fidel-castro-an-rd-at-riverside-sharing-200063/