LIVE THEATRE presents the World premiere of
ASTELL AND WOOLF
By SHELAGH STEPHENSON
Directed by KAREN TRAYNOR
From one of the country’s most prominent and acclaimed playwrights comes this outrageous new play that digs deep into the North East’s radical roots.
When pioneering feminist Mary Astell (born in Newcastle) meets Virginia Woolf in the afterlife, the result is a riotous, thought-provoking clash of minds. Packed with big ideas, bigger laughs, and joyful feminist fire, it’s a rare spotlight on Astell – a visionary often left out of the history books. Deep, funny, and unapologetically smart – this is feminism with flair, right back in the North East, where it all began for Astell.
It's no joke being Newcastle's first feminist!
Astell & Woolf is included in our MULTI BUY OFFER along with All At Sea, Where Do All The Kittiwakes Go At Christmas? and The Most Famous Tree In The World.
The more you buy, the more you save!
Buy tickets to two of these productions and save 10%
Buy tickets to three of these productions and save 20%
Buy tickets to all four of these productions and save 30%
Discount will automatically apply when tickets are added to your basket (applies to full priced tickets only).
Live Theatre and FORUM Books Collab - The Feminist Book Fair
Sat 23 May - 1pm till 10pm
Joining forces to celebrate the feminist voices throughout literature and beyond, Live Theatre and FORUM Books will host The Feminist Book Fair at Live Theatre on 23rd May as part of the programme of events around flagship new work Astell & Woolf.
From key texts that define the movement to lost voices from across the world, The Feminist Book Fair will explore modern titles as well as exploring the classics we've all pretended to have read but haven’t actually been brave enough to pick up.
There will be a wide selection of works, exploring all points of intersectionality with books to challenge, inspire and comfort. The Fair will be staffed by FORUM’s highly skilled booksellers who will be available to point you in the right direction, whether you're looking for somewhere to start or perhaps to push your own boundaries of feminist reading.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Cast
Phillippa Wilson - Mary Astell
Phillippa started her professional career with Live Theatre in 1989. Theatre credits for Live include 'Bandits', '1990', 'Some Like it Cold', 'Here I Come', 'Oh What a Lovely War' , 'Twelve Tales of Tyneside', 'For the Crack', 'Seafarers', 'A Walk on Part', 'Nativity' and 'The Pitmen Painters' which transferred to the National followed by a national tour and culminated at the Manhattan Theatre Club, Broadway. Most recently, she appeared in 'Shuggy Boats' for Jackdaw Media.
Other Theatre credits include 'And a Nightingale Sang', 'The Real Inspector Hound' and 'The Importance of Being Earnest' (Hexham Queens Hall/ Live Theatre), 'The Long Line', 'Stars in the Morning Sky', 'Merlin the Magnificent', 'Cinderella', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'The Snow Queen' and 'Beauty and the Beast' (Northern Stage), 'Beautiful Game', 'Pitmen Painters' (Theatre Royal, Newcastle) 'Waiting for Gateaux' and 'Writing Wrongs' (Customs House, South Shields) and 'Haddock and Chips' (Carole Wear/Arts Council Tour/ Customs House.
TV credits include 'The Bill', 'The Royal', 'Inspector Rebus', 'Emmerdale', 'Vera', (ITV) 'Eastenders', 'Spender', 'Clay', 'Empathy', '55 Degrees North', 'Casualty', 'Holby City', 'Doctors', 'The Student Prince', 'Byker Grove' (BBC) and regular roles in 'Firm Friends', 'Badger', 'Wolf Blood' (BBC), 'Where The Heart is' and 'Heartbeat' (ITV).
Tessa Parr - Virginia Woolf
Theatre includes: 'As You Like It' (The Globe), 'The Secretaries' (Young Vic), 'There are No Beginnings' (Leeds Playhouse), 'Hamlet', 'Christmas Carol', 'Europe, Road' (Leeds Playhouse Rep), 'B!RTH' (Royal Exchange Theatre), 'Frogman' (Traverse Theatre), 'The Breakfast Plays' (Traverse Theatre), 'Romeo & Juliet' (West Yorkshire Playhouse), 'Playdough' (Unlimited Theatre Co), 'The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz' (Northern Stage), 'Theatre Uncut ’15' (Theatre Uncut), 'The Soaking of Vera Shrimp' (Live Theatre/Pleasance), 'Get Santa' (Northern Stage), 'Dead To Me' (Greyscale/Kitchings Co), 'Alice in Bed' (Tender Buttons), 'Funny Not Funny' (Drywrite/ Bush).
TV includes: 'Alice and Jack' (C4) 'Ladhood 2' (BBC), 'Love, Lies & Records' (Rollem Productions), 'Father Brown', 'Parades End', 'Casualty 1909', 'Doctors' (BBC).
Tessa performs her own work as drag king spoken word poet Johnny the Biblical Rapper and is a core collaborator with Leeds based contemporary dance troupe Glitterbomb Dancers.
