Women & Theatre

Jackie and her red shoes

The Bad One

A chilling yet humorous, modern day fairytale.

Starts: 2008-09-25
Finishes: 2008-11-08

Availability:

Women & Theatre have secured ACE funding to tour The Bad One in Autumn 2008. We’re opening at the Birmingham Rep 25th-27th September, visithttp://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/event/the-bad-one or call 0121 236 4455. For the full national tour schedule click here

Introduction

Is it wicked to submit to extreme desires and emotions?
Or even more destructive to try to keep a lid on them?

Presenting the intriguing story of Jackie – a poor, lonely orphan who lived with her grandmother on the edge of town. Sometimes she didn’t mind being lonely… but sometimes she’d feel the wind blowing in a certain direction and a great gaping emptiness would fill her stomach and she’d yearn for the company of another girl just like herself – someone to sing and play with. But her grandmother was very strict and had forbidden singing and dancing because “one thing leads to another”…

Watch in wonder as the strange case of The Bad One magically unfolds into a cautionary tale of unrequited life…

The Bad One is a quirky fairytale where Greggs’ pasties sit side by side with red shoes and talking bears. It explores Stephenson’s tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from a female perspective. Contrary to the Victorian classic however The Bad One suggests that in order to strike a healthy balance we should learn to embrace the dark side that exists in us all. We need to be the good girl and the bad girl. You can’t have one without the other.

History

W&T Founder and Artistic Director, Janice Connolly, was inspired by Robert Louis Stephenson’s novel Jekyll & Hyde and wanted to explore the story from a female perspective. She was particularly interested in the suppression of desires, extreme emotions and how this is affected by socialization. Janice began research in January 2002 with women’s groups and individuals in Birmingham including probation and mental health users groups. She asked them about circumstances in which they felt taken over, what caused this, what it felt like and whether they felt it was a positive or negative experience. She examined and discussed existing literature in this genre (e.g. the works of Angela Carter) and modern self-discovery books such as Women who run with the wolves. Research all informed the concept of transgressive women. If everyone accepts half a life what happens when someone breaks rank and wants more?

Janice then wrote the script with Dramaturgy from Theresa Heskins. Script writing and development was supported by Arts Council England as a Theatre Writing Commission Award. The play was directed in early 2004 by Terina Talbot with Dramaturgy from Gwenda Hughes. It opened on 12th Feb 2004 at Midland Arts Centre then toured to 7 other small-scale theatres and rural venues.

The 2004 pilot tour was well received and the atmosphere in theatres was electric. It made audiences gasp out loud, proving the power of live theatre to chill and shock. We were particularly pleased by the positive responses of first time theatre goers and young people. The production’s style, with its dark brew of humour and fairytale, was accessible and populist whilst also challenging and thought provoking.

We are now building upon this success and mounting a new production for 2008. This year’s tour has been made possible with the kind support of Arts Council, England, REALiSE, Sir Barry Jackson Trust, The Grimmitt Trust, The Rowlands Trust and The Bryant Trust.

Notes

The great news is that we have just received an ACE grant to rework and retour The Bad One.

We are looking to up the ante of the “being scared” bit for the audience and to use shadow play to tell the grandmother’s cautionary tales. We’re talking to magicians about how to make two women really become one at the end of the play – before your very eyes!! We’re also looking to devise a workshop to tour with the play that looks at the basics of running a theatre company – something Women and Theatre know a thing or two about in this its 25th year ! And what better way to celebrate it than a tour of The Bad One!!

Janice Connolly, W&T Artistic Director

Outcome

Press

‘Dark yet funny and compelling’ The Stage, 4th March 2004.

Audiences

“Intricate and intriguing – certainly something to take back and think about … tomorrow and the next day …” (attendee – mac, Birmingham)

“Entertaining, hilarious, poignant. It was at times shocking and astonishing. Fantastic!” (attendee – Worcester Swan)

“Loved the attention to detail – the confrontation of fears and realisation of other self.” (attendee – Worcester Swan)

Production Credits

Cast
Jackie: Susie Riddell
Grandmother: Janice Connolly
Laurence: Laurence Saunders
Heidi: Heather Pilkington

Writer: Janice Connolly
Director: Terina Talbot
Production Designer: Frances Rice
Original Set & Costumes:(2004) Helen Davies
Composition & Sound Design : Michael Aduwali
Projection Designer: Chris Cuthbert
Technical stage Manager: Penny Gaize

Set Construction: Andy Martin, Frances Rice & Penny Gaize
Costume Maker: Kay Wilton
Scenic Artist: Claire White Emma Thompson, assisted by Stephen Burke
Script Research: Alison Carney & Janice Connolly
Magical Consultant: Robert Ormester
Vocals: Jill Norman

Dramaturgy: Script Development: Theresa Heskins (Original Production-2004)
Jill Norman & Alison Carney (2008 Production)
Direction assistance: Gwenda Hughes (2004) Jill Norman (2008)

Producer: Ruth Richardson
Asst Producers: Hannah Brewer & Margaret Anderson
Marketing: Kat Bailey & SJ Watkinson
PR Consultant: Kim Morgan PR
Publicity Design: Blind Mice Design
Publicity model/Ruby Red: Lydia Burke

No one has commented on this yet. Why don't you?