(the) Woman is a Bruntwood Prize shortlisted play from George Devine Award winning playwright Jane Upton (All the Little Lights). Based on her experiences as a woman formed in the 90’s losing herself in the transition from single woman to motherhood, it examines how becoming a parent changes a woman’s identity (though she’s told it shouldn’t), the compromises she makes (whilst being told she can have it all) and the level of masking that happens (because talking about your children or your needs is ‘boring’). (the) Woman, is a funny and painful scream from the abyss of early motherhood.
When a successful playwright swaps long writing sessions for snatched moments of peace, and wild nights out for evenings in with a newborn, she’s left wondering how she’s supposed to continue being a successful artist, wife, and friend while everything she knew has changed. Suddenly M is burnt out, angry, lonely, craving intimacy but disengaged, and terrified of the future. Sinking in exhaustion and self-doubt, M starts digging at the secrets of the system she’s in; unpicking where she came from in an attempt to navigate this new version of herself.
Jane Upton said, “I started writing this play years ago when I was in a particularly vulnerable state of early motherhood, trying so hard to be the best I could be. A boy (now middle-aged-man) I went out with at school told my brother he’d expected “more” from me than having kids in my hometown. I was both livid and broken. With a swollen body and no sleep, I started pouring all my anger and fear into the first scene of this play and built the rest from there. People have told me I’m brave to write about motherhood because it’s not sexy, which says it all really. Well f**k that! This play is full of so many things I have wanted to scream from my cage. It’s about more than motherhood and it’s NOT just for women. I want men to see this play. I’m excited that New Perspectives and Royal & Derngate are getting (the) Woman out there because it feels like air and breath to say this stuff.”
Lizzy Watts stars as M, her recent credits include SHED: Exploded View (Manchester Royal Exchange) and Hedda Gabler (National Theatre). She is joined by Jamie-Rose Monk (Hansel and Gretel; Princess Essex; The Taming of the Shrew at The Globe), Cian Barry (Ethan Henderson in ITV’s returning crime series DI Ray) and André Squire One Night in Miami (ABKCO Theater/Nottingham Playhouse).
(the) Woman is directed by New Perspectives’ Artistic Director Angharad Jones who said, “When Jane brought this play to me, as both a woman in this industry and as mother, I felt totally understood. This exceptional new play is screaming the truth of all women and mothers who feel suffocated or unsure and struggle to find the space to truthfully express themselves. It is formally playful, intricately crafted and inherently theatrical and will make for an unforgettable experience and I can’t wait for audiences to connect with it. This play has gone through development with rigour and care and with support from National Theatre’s Generate programme and a host of creatives. I feel privileged to bring this story to UK stages with a special connection to our home in the Midlands. We are also particularly proud to be providing two paid opportunities to members of our talent development programme ‘New Associates’ to support early – mid career artists.”
New Perspectives is the leading touring theatre company in the East Midlands with 50 years’ experience of touring high-quality productions to venues of all sizes across the UK, from mid-scale theatres to village halls. With a strong rural core, they create productions to fit spaces of any size in order to bring new work that is unexpected and thought-provoking to a wide range of audiences. New Perspectives co-produced with Fifth Word a tour of We Need New Names, based on the Booker Prize-nominated novel, and in Autumn the company undertook a major rural tour of Make Good – the Post Office Scandal Musical in a co-production with Pentabus, marking the Golden anniversary of each company. As Artistic Director/CEO since 2021, Angharad Jones has directed touring productions The Great Almighty Gill (Edinburgh Festival & UK Tour 2022), The Swearing Jar (rural/ Studio UK tour 2023) and Model Village (rural tour 2023), and a script-in-hand reading of Lucy Kirkwood’s Maryland. New Perspectives run a talent development programme New Associates and with people who don’t identify as artists to support them to tell their own story through their Open Pitch programme.
Royal & Derngate is proud of its reputation as a thriving regional theatre. An important entertainment hub for all communities across Northamptonshire and beyond, the three-stage and cinema complex is home to an acclaimed Made In Northampton self-produced programme as well as welcoming some of the most well-known acts and shows touring the UK. In recent years the venue has celebrated Stage, Olivier and Academy Awards nominations, notably including a prestigious win for Best Family Show at the 2020 Oliviers. As important as the work on its stages, its nationally recognised Creative Engagement programme works with schools, families and communities, and the Generate development programme supports hundreds of regional artists each year, at all stage of their careers.
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