Greenwich Theatre’s spring season is being themed for the first time to promote and celebrate young female theatre makers, some at the start of their careers but others already exceptional multi-award winners.
A recent study, published by arts data analysts Purple Seven, shows that whilst the gender gap in theatre may be narrowing slowly, male directors, producers, writers and performers still outnumber their female counterparts by around two to one.
“Proactive casting, commissioning or employment initiatives are valuable but they are still not creating female arts leaders,” said James Haddrell, Greenwich Theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director. “We are aiming to seek out the best female emerging theatre makers who are creating work themselves, leading and defining their practice.”
To this end, Greenwich Theatre’s spring season includes work by two of the theatre’s Supported Companies – Lost Watch Theatre Company, transferring their recent Edinburgh Festival hit Goodstock to Greenwich in January (Wed 20 - Sat 23), and Broken Leg Theatre, opening a national tour of the new play Three Generations of Women (Tue 1-Sat 5 Mar).
Broken Leg Theatre’s Three Generations of Women is a new play written by Alice Trueman and Anna Jefferson from thousands of personal stories submitted by women around the UK in a far-reaching online archive project, while Goodstock by Lost Watch co-founder Olivia Hirst and produced by Rianna Dearden is a funny, honest, uplifting show about BRCA1, the genetic mutation made famous by Angelina Jolie and others which leads to a drastically increased chance of breast cancer.
The season also includes performances of Engineer Theatre Collective’s Run (Tue 8-Sat 12 Mar), produced by Emily Thommes alongside The Human Zoo Theatre Company’s The Girl Who Fell In Love With The Moon (Mon 8 - Thu 11 Feb), led by artistic director Florence O’Mahony.
This year also sees the launch of the RED Women's Theatre Award on Sunday 6 March, with Greenwich Theatre playing host to a showcase of some of the freshest women’s political writing, shortlisted from an open submission process and supported by online creative magazine Female Arts.
“Conceived by Effie Samara and co-produced by Female Arts, the event marks the launch of a national playwriting award, with the first regional showcase hosted here in London ahead of a national roll-out,” explained James Haddrell.
“We are immensely proud of this season, of taking this opportunity not only to highlight a serious imbalance of opportunity in theatre, but to celebrate the young theatre makers determined to change theatre in this country.”
GOODSTOCK - Wed 20 - Sat 23 January
THE GIRL WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MOON - Mon 8-Thu 11 February
THREE GENERATIONS OF WOMEN - Tue 1-Sat 5 March
RED WOMEN’S THEATRE AWARD - Sun 6 March
RUN - Tue 8-Sat 12 March
Box Office 020 8858 7755
http://www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk
