Heather Williams plays Susan in The Love I Feel Is Red, a character as different to Mona (see Blog 1) as she can possibly be. Mona is a free runner. Susan is a baker. The play sees the two women reach out to each other across the great void between them, as they both deal with the grief following the death of Susan’s son (Mona’s boyfriend). Heather told us how the first week of rehearsals has been, working on this sensitive and deeply engaging new play.
“For me it has been a thrilling first week of rehearsals, working with such talented young female artists – Nel Crouch and Janet Etuk. Janet is an extraordinarily truthful actor and Nell has been brilliant in helping us to unlock our characters and the poetry of Sabrina Mahfouz’s beautifully written text.
I play Susan, an older woman consumed with regret at having given up her successful swimming coaching career in order to bring up her son. Mona’s character, the son’s girlfriend, is from a completely different world and try as she might, Susan cannot hide her deep disapproval of her. A tragedy has brought them together and as Mona reveals something to Susan that shocks her and fills her with despair, it all kicks off. But as they share traumatic experiences with each other they realise they are not as different as they thought.
This is a play that doesn’t shy away from really investigating one of the great challenges of being a woman and it’s great that it’s done so from the perspective of two different generations.
As it’s a two hander most of the first week has been about getting solid on the lines – but I’m also excited about working with Nell and Janet to really draw out the dramatic tension.”
The Love I Feel Is Red is our latest in-house production for a Play, a Pie and a Pint (created in association with Òran Mór); a series which celebrates new writing. And pies. Its also the final show in our sell-out Tobacco Factory Theatres BEYOND season of epic theatre across Bristol.
Posted on 27 April 2016