Rehearsal pictures have been released for Lisa D’Amour’s Anna Bella Eema, directed by Jessica Lazar.
Playing at the Arcola Theatre from the 11th September, this UK premiere production of Lisa D’Amour’s play is directed by Atticist’s Artistic Director Jessica Lazar and will play for a limited season until the 12th October.
Precocious child Annabella lives in a deserted trailer park. Schooled by her eccentric mother Irene, she learns to co-exist with the vampires, werewolves and monsters that lurk in the world outside.
Desperate to ward off the new highway that threatens the demolition of their home, Annabella steps outside to build a girl out of mud. The girl comes to life. The girl is Anna Bella Eema.
This new and updated version of the play is part ghost story, part fairytale and part coming-of-age fantasy with an original score by Chris Sidorfsky.
The production is set to star Natasha Cottriall, Gabrielle Brooks
and Beverley Rudd.
Natasha Cottriall plays Three (Anna Bella Eema). Her theatre credits include The Lovely Bones, Dancing in the Streets (UK tour), Future Conditional (The Old Vic), Into the Woods (Royal Exchange Theatre), The Busker’s Opera and Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] (Park Theatre).
Gabrielle Brooks plays Two (Annabella). Her theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Twelfth Night (Young Vic), Our Lady of Kibeho (Royal & Derngate Northampton),
The Way of the World (Donmar Warehouse), The Wizard of Oz, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Sheffield Theatres) and Queen Anne (RSC/Theatre Royal Haymarket).
Beverley Rudd plays One (Irene). Her theatre credits include Dead Dog in a Suitcase (Kneehigh UK/international tour), Brief Encounter, Tin Drum (Kneehigh UK tour), The Twits (Curve), Peter Pan, The Beggars Opera, Into The Woods (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Royal Exchange Theatre) and Soho Cinders (Soho Theatre).
Meanwhile, the production’s creative team includes: music direction by Tom Foskett-Barnes, set and costume design by Anna Lewis, lighting design by David Doyle and movement direction by Jennifer Fletcher.
Anna Bella Eema will play at the Arcola Theatre from the 11th September until the 12th October.