ONE-WOMAN WORLD PREMIERE REOPENS THE ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE WITH A BLAST OF ORIGINAL MUSIC SET TO RAISE THE ROOF
A Royal Exchange Theatre production in association with Rebel Productions.
BLOODY ELLE – A GIG MUSICAL
Written and Performed by Lauryn Redding
Directed by Bryony Shanahan
23 June – 17 July
Written and performed by Lauryn Redding and directed by Joint Artistic Director Bryony Shanahan BLOODY ELLE – A GIG MUSICAL reopens the Royal Exchange Theatre 15months after it closed its doors. This brand-new World Premiere is an uplifting, one-woman show about falling in love for the very first time. BLOODY ELLE is set to an original score, which Redding single-handedly builds into loops and layers of sound that make you feel like there’s a ten-piece band on stage, transporting the audience to a sweaty, packed out gig in the back of a pub or a 10,000 seat arena. It opens on 23 June and runs until 17 July.
Eve’s eyes are green like guacamole, she has posh-hair and a freckle on her chin (that Elle thinks might be chocolate) and when she puts her hand on Elle’s arm… This heart-warming and belly-achingly funny story is stuffed full of those stomach-flipping-time-stopping moments; a touch, a glance, a kiss, that everyone will recognise. BLOODY ELLE – A GIG MUSICAL is a Royal Exchange Theatre production in association with Rebel Productions.
Writer, performer and musician Lauryn Redding makes her Royal Exchange debut with BLOODY ELLE – A GIG MUSICAL (both as a writer and performer). Recent theatre credits include: THE WORST WITCH (Vaudeville Theatre, West End – Olivier Award Winner); THE HIRED MAN (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch/Hull Truck/Oldham Coliseum); MACBETH/MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM/TWELFTH NIGHT (Wilton’s Music Hall); SEAGULLS (Bolton Octagon); OLIVER TWIST (Hull Truck); EDUCATING RITA (UK Tour); BREAD AND ROSES/UP ‘N’ UNDER/OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR/DREAMERS (Oldham Coliseum); ROMEO AND JULIET (The Watermill Theatre); HORRIBLE HISTORIES (The Garrick Theatre, West End); THE COMEDY OF ERRORS (Shakespeare’s Globe and UK/European Tour). Television credits include: EASTENDERS (BBC) and EMMERDALE (ITV).
Bryony Shanahan is Joint Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre. In 2016 she won the Genesis Future Directors award and directed TRADE at the Young Vic. During the past 12months as Artistic Director she has developed projects such as ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS and OH WOMAN! for the Royal Exchange. Her directing credits for the theatre include WUTHERING HEIGHTS, ADIEU, QUEENS OF THE COAL AGE and NOTHING (winner of Manchester Theatre Award). Other directing credits include ENOUGH (Traverse Theatre); CHICKEN SOUP (Sheffield Crucible); OPERATION CRUCIBLE (Finborough Theatre, Sheffield Crucible/UK tour/59e59 New York); WEALD (Finborough Theatre); BITCH BOXER (Soho Theatre/national tour/Adelaide Fringe Festival); BOYS WILL BE BOYS (Women Centre Stage, National Theatre); CHAPEL STREET (National Tour) and YOU AND ME (Greenwich Theatre/National Tour).
Alexandra Faye Braithwaite is a sound designer and composer. She returns to the Royal Exchange following her work on the World Premiere of Simon Stephens’ LIGHT FALLS and a brand-new version of WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Other recent theatre credits include GROAN UPS (Vaudeville Theatre); NEVILLE’S ISLAND (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch); THE AUDIENCE, JUICY & DELICIOUS (Nuffield Theatre); THE REMAINS OF MAISIE DUGGAN (Abbey Theatre); TOAST (The Other Palace/Lowry Theatre/Traverse Theatre); HAMLET, TALKING HEADS, RUDOLPH (Leeds Playhouse); THINGS OF DRY HOURS (Young Vic); COUGAR, DEALING WITH CLAIR, THE ROLLING STONE (Orange Tree Theatre); ROMEO AND JULIET (China Plate); ACCEPTANCE (Hampstead Downstairs); CHICKEN SOUP (Sheffield Crucible Studio); DUBLIN CAROL (Sherman Theatre); KANYE THE FIRST (Hightide Festival); ROOM (Theatre Royal Stratford East/Abbey Theatre); IF I WAS QUEEN (Almeida).
Amanda Stoodley is an award-winning set and costume designer, working in theatre, opera, installation & exhibition. She trained at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and graduated in 2009 with a first-class honours degree in theatre and performance design. Amanda previously studied and worked in illustration, graphic, interior & stained-glass design. Amanda has worked regularly at the Royal Exchange, her credits for the theatre include : QUEEN MARGARET, MOMENTS THAT CHANGED OUR WORLD, HAMLET, BLACK ROSES (& UK Tour), ALL I WANT IS ONE NIGHT (& Wilton’s Music Hall), TWO, WINTERLONG (& Soho Theatre); PUB, TRUTH ABOUT YOUTH Festival and MAKING AN EXHIBITION OF OURSELVES (AT HOME). Other recent theatre credits include DECADES – STORIES FROM THE CITY, EUROPE, AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, BE MY BABY, UNTOLD STORIES (Leeds Playhouse); THE LAST TESTAMENT OF LILLIAN BILOCCA (Hull UK City of Culture 2017); HERE’S WHAT SHE SAID TO ME, TRIBES, THE EFFECT (Sheffield Theatres); THE RISE & FALL OF LITTLE VOICE, SUMMER HOLIDAY, THE BIG CORNER, EAST IS EAST (Bolton Octagon Theatre); A RAISIN IN THE SUN (Eclipse, Sheffield Theatres, Belgrade Theatre & UK Tour); MASQUE OF ANARCHY (MIF); MANCHESTER LINES (Library Theatre) and FIREFACE (Young Vic).
The creative team is completed by – Associate Director Hannah Sands, Lighting Mark Distin Webster, Movement Director Yandass Ndlovu, Company Stage Manager Scott McDonald and Deputy Stage Manager Amber Chapell.