First look rehearsal images are released for the world premiere of award-winning writer Emma-Louise Howell’s debut play I Really Do Think This Will Change Your Life, which will run in the Mercury Studio from 27 October – 4 November.
The Mercury Original production, which will be directed by Hetty Hodgson (she/they, Hot In Here – Gate Theatre & UK Tour), is a hair-pulling, fake-nail scratching, cat-fight against what it means to be a Girl Boss™.
Belles was the popular girl, the IT girl, the oh-so-very-fit-girl. When she was 17. Now, she’s 24 and spends her days bossed about by her Mum and the girls she 100% used to bully.
So, when a life-changing opportunity slides into her DMs, she carpes the diem, finds her tribe, makes her millions and proves the worth of women worldwide one Instagram post at a time. Except she doesn’t. Because…come on.
Emma-Louise Howell (she/her, Twelfth Night – UK/US tour), who was longlisted for the BBC Writersroom and will star in the one person show as Belles, developed her debut play as part of the theatre’s Playwrighting Development Programme.
The production team for the world premiere, which is Arts Council England funded, is comprised of an inclusive and diverse team. The production aims to address and change processes of making and engaging with neurodiverse theatre audiences and participants with a toolkit being created on completion addressing how to work effectively with neurodiverse creatives. The production will be created using immersive digital technologies including creative captioning.
Alongside Hodgson and Howell on the creative team are: Lulu Tam (she/her, Woodhill – Edinburgh & UK Tour) as Designer, Matt Powell (they/she/he, Animal – Hope Mill Theatre / Park Theatre – Offie Nomination) as Video Designer, Martha Godfrey (they/them, Bangers – Edinburgh, UK Tour & Soho Theatre) as Lighting Designer, Holly Khan (she/her, Blackout Songs – Hampstead Theatre) as Sound Designer & Composer and Tara Young (she/her, The Foreigners’ Panto – BOLD Elephant) as Movement Director.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
