Monica Dolan's The B*easts previews at the Bush Theatre prior to Edinburgh
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
THE Bush Theatre has announced that it will be hosting a run of The B*easts.
Written and performed by Monica Dolan (W1A, Appropriate Adult, The Witness For The Prosecution), three previews of the production will take place on July 26, 27 and 28, 2017, in the theatre’s recently refurbished Attic before opening at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Referencing the modern obsession with putting your own child first against our responsibility as a society towards our children as a whole, this dark tale – written by and starring BAFTA award-winning actress Monica Dolan – explores how far one mum will go to put what her child wants first.
Dolan’s first solo play, a searing ‘What If?’ story, explores the pornification of our culture and the sexualisation of our children. In a society where sexuality and gender are such a huge part of who we are, how we identify, and how we are defined, The B*easts looks at how soon is too soon to strive for perceived sexual ideals. Can the journey to reach that supposed perfection start before we are even consciously aware of the journey we have begun?
The B*easts follows the repercussions of an event which could plausibly present itself and unfold within today’s culture. It invites us to examine our culture from an extreme perspective, taking a circumstance that we see as abhorrent and abnormal and showing how it can germinate in what we have come to regard as normality. As Tessa, the central character says, ‘you only have the choices you can see’. So when, and how, do you start noticing that your moral compass may be being directed by popular culture?
Monica Dolan is a Middlesbrough-born actress who has recently appeared on television as Angela in Mid Morning Matters With Alan Partridge, straight-talking Senior Comms Officer Tracey Pritchard in W1A, Alice More in Wolf Hall, Tess Wall in JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy, MI5 director Judith in Complicit and Janet McIntyre in The Witness For The Prosecution.
Her film credits include MP Angela Northman in Eye In The Sky, Marion in Pride, chain-smoking headmistress Miss Alvaro in The Falling, Angela Ashbourne in Alpha Papa (The Alan Partridge Movie) and Ann Hamilton in The Arbor.
On stage she has appeared as Lisa in The Glory of Living, Megan in Plaques and Tangles and The Artist in Birth of a Nation (all Royal Court). Her other credits include The Same Deep Water as Me (Donmar Warehouse), and playing Lady Macbeth in Max Stafford-Clark’s ground-breaking production of Macbeth with Out of Joint. She has also worked at the National Theatre and extensively at the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she took on the roles of Regan and Masha in Trevor Nunn’s productions of King Lear and The Seagull.
Dolan’s most notable role was as killer Rosemary West in ITV’s 2011 drama Appropriate Adult, for which she won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress.
Produced by Suzanna Rosenthal for Something for the Weekend, The B*easts is directed by John Hoggarth and designed by James Button.
The B*easts is suitable for ages 14+.
Tickets: From £10 – to book, call the box office on 020 8743 5050 or visit www.bushtheatre.co.uk/.
Time: 7.45pm.
Running Time: 60 minutes.
Read about the Bush Theatre’s 2017 Season.
There will be further previews of The B*easts at the Etcetera Theatre on July 24, 25 and 29.