A gripping exploration of women pushed to the edge; the landmark Australian play The Bleeding Tree has announced its fantastic cast coming to Southwark Playhouse Borough this summer. Having previously won the Griffin Award, the Helpmann Award for Best Play and the David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Writing for Australian Theatre, this moving yet darkly funny drama follows a mother and her two daughters who must go to extremes to survive.
Playing the family’s unflinching matriarch is RSC Associate Artist Mariah Gale (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s Globe; Henry VI: Rebellion, RSC; I May Destroy You, BBC). Mariah is a regular of the London stage who won the Ian Charleson Award for her first appearance at Southwark Playhouse (in ’Tis Pity She’s A Whore). In the roles of her daughters are screen star Elizabeth Dulau (Andor, Disney+; All the Light We Cannot See, Netflix) as Ida, and esteemed AACTA-nominated Australian actress Alexandra Jensen (Talk to Me, A24; The Messenger, ABC), who makes her UK stage debut as Ada.
The Bleeding Tree is fascinating exploration of the moral ambiguity around what we do when pushed to the limit. Following years of abuse from the man of the house, The Bleeding Tree’s leading women have finally reached the end of their tether and shot him dead. Now they must deal with their fluctuating feelings – from shock to relief to guilt – all whilst figuring out how to dispose of a body. This lyrical drama will examine women’s resilience and raise questions around a community’s responsibility to speak out against violence.
Director Sophie Drake comments, We are delighted to have brought together this extraordinary group of actors to deliver The Bleeding Tree to Southwark Playhouse audiences. All three have a natural instinct for Angus’ daring and formally inventive text, and we know that they’ll bring the sharp wit, dynamism and searing honesty that the play demands.
