Great world playwrights celebrated at Live Theatre in November
Landmark works by groundbreaking playwrights are honoured this November at Live Theatre with readings of the award-winning The Vagina Monologues and a 30th anniversary reading of Stones In His Pockets. A programming highlight brings a mini-series featuring diverse American voices with a centre-piece sharing of Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog, John by Annie Baker and a rare play titled A Public Reading of An Unproduced Screenplay About The Death of Walt Disney by Lucas Hnath.
Kicking off the readings in irreverent style on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November is The Vagina Monologues by V (formerly Eve Ensler), read by a wonderful cast including Charlie Hardwick, Bridget Marumo, Ivanna Nitsak, Karen Traynor and Hannah Walker. Directed by Becky Dawson, this masterpiece breaks taboos, sparks crucial conversations and celebrates the full depth of the feminine experience. From hilarious to deeply poignant, these raw stories give voice to experiences that for too long remained in the dark.
Marking 30 years of the show that took the world by storm, Patrick Kelly and David Nellist take on the roles of two Irish men, hired as extras for a Hollywood blockbuster in Stones In His Pockets on Saturday 7 November. Directed by Bex Bowsher, and with live music from Patrick, the multi-award-winning tragicomedy written by Marie Jones is set in a small rural village in County Kerry. The two-hander delights in exploring the limits of comedy and theatricality, and the collision of romanticised notions of 'Irishness' and the harsher reality and has delighted audiences around the world.
The first in a series of groundbreaking American play readings on Thursday 12 November is Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, a darkly comic fable of brotherly love, family identity and the illusion of the American Dream. The two brothers locked in a psychological battle of sibling rivalry are played by David Alade and Valentine Olukoga.
Friday 13 November brings a special reading of a play title An unproduced screenplay about the death of Walt Disney with the renowned animator played by none other than Christopher Eccleston.
The season rounds up on Saturday 14 November with John by Annie Baker a play that tells the story of a struggling Brooklyn couple navigating the painful dissolution of their relationship. A ghost story, a love story, an exploration of contemporary America by a true master.
For further information on these must-see readings and to book tickets (special freelancer offer available) go to live.org.uk
