GLEE & ME Royal Exchange Theatre

 

‘A VINAIGRETTE OF DESPAIR POURED OVER A SALAD OF JOY’: Acclaimed Actor Liv Hill Performs this 2019 Bruntwood Judges Prize-Winning Play   A Royal Exchange Theatre production GLEE & ME Written by Stuart Slade Directed by Nimmo Ismail 11 September – 30 October Press Night: 15 September, 7.30pm – The Theatre   Stuart Slade’s Bruntwood Judges Prize-winning dark comedy GLEE & ME has its world premiere at the Royal Exchange Theatre this Autumn. Critically acclaimed and BAFTA nominated actor Liv Hill will be performing this urgent one-woman show under the direction of Nimmo Ismail. Achingly funny and heart-breaking, GLEE & ME focuses on 16-year-old Lola: a sharp-witted teenager who has her whole life ahead of her - until she’s diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour, that is; a tumour that’s now rapidly turning her brilliant mind into mush. The production opens on 11 September and will run in rep with THE MOUNTAINTOP until 30 October.   Lola’s promised herself two things before she dies: 1. She’s going to get All The Sex and 2. She’ll definitively discover the Meaning of Life. GLEE & ME is an unexpectedly optimistic portrayal of love and the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit.   Liv Hill is emerging as one of UK's most exciting young talents, probably most well known for her critically acclaimed role in JELLYFISH for which she was nominated for a British Independent Film Award, as a Most Promising Newcomer, Best Performance at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, as well as receiving a special mention at Dinard for her performance in the film. JELLYFISH has been a huge success, winning Best Direction, Best Screenplay and Best Film at the Dinard Film Festival. Liv appeared in Jessica Hynes' directorial debut, THE FIGHT, as well as starring alongside Ruth Wilson and Domhall Gleeson in THE LITTLE STRANGER. Her most recent role was playing the young Glenda Jackson in the multi award winning ELIZABETH IS MISSING directed by Aishling Walsh.   After training at The Nottingham Actors Studio, Liv made her television debut at just seventeen years old in the critically acclaimed BBC drama, THREE GIRLS. Directed by Phillipa Lowthorpe, THREE GIRLS told the story of the Rochdale abuse scandal and received high praise from both the media and the public. Liv was nominated for a BAFTA for her role as Best Supporting Actress, and the series went on to win Best Mini-Series. In June 2018, Liv appeared in an episode of SNATCHES: MOMENTS FROM WOMEN'S LIVES, a series of monologues written by some of the UK's most celebrated female writers, that aired on BBC 4. Liv appeared in THE GREAT, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, directed by Matt Shakman.   Liv has just wrapped shooting the lead role of the young queen in THE SERPENT QUEEN for Starz television.  Liv made her stage debut in the lead role in TOP GIRLS at The Royal National Theatre directed by Lyndsey Turner.   Stuart Slade was born in Bristol and lives in London. Previous plays include BU21 (Trafalgar Studios), REALITY (Royal Court, RWCMD), and CANS (Theatre503).   Nimmo Ismail is a theatre director and writer living in London. Theatre work as a director includes: GLEE & ME by Stuart Slade, THE CHRISTMAS STAR by Russell T Davies (Royal Exchange Theatre), FRAGMENTS by Cordelia Lynn as part of Five Plays and MY ENGLAND by Somalia Seaton as part of Fresh Direction (Young Vic) SNAP by Danusia Samal as part of Connect Now (Old Vic), TWO PALESTINIANS GO DOGGING by Sami Ibrahim (Sparkhaus Theatre), THE OTHER DAY; TWELVE MONTHS’ NOTICE; THE DEBATE and WINTER BLOSSOM KARAOKE by Leaphia Darko (Camden People’s Theatre); TELEVISION GUIDE by Brad Birch; THE DISPLACED/WE CAME IN A TINY RED BOAT by Jerusha Green and I ACTUALLY HAVE A SON by Andrew Maddock (Guildhall School of Music & Drama with Squint Theatre).   Theatre work as a writer includes THREE DATES (Southwark Playhouse), NEW WAYS OF LOOKING (Bush Theatre) and HATCH (Talawa Theatre Company). She took part in the Royal Court Writers Programme, Talawa Theatre Company’s TYPT, Bush Theatre’s 2020/2021 Allotments Programme and is a member of the Orange Tree Writers Collective 2021/2022.   Anna Yates is a theatre and production designer based in London. Theatre work includes FERGUSON AND BARTON (Platform Theatreand Camden People's theatre, (Shotput)); ELEVENSES (Somerset House); THE BIOGRAPH GIRL and MR GILLIE (Finborough Theatre); TENDERLY (New Wimbledon Studio); KAFKA’S QUEST (Theatre for the New City, New York); THE MISER (Brave New World Rep, New York). Her work in opera includes BRITTEN, DEBUSSY and RAVEL (Royal College of Music), RIDERS TO THE SEA/CUPBOARD LOVE (Byre Opera, St Andrews); LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (Fulham Opera); THE FACE OF THE BARROOM FLOOR and EMPEROR NORTON (Chelsea Opera, New York); and THE DWARF (Vertical Rep, New York). As co-designer theatre includes BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO (the Donmar). As associate designer opera includes LA BOHEME Drive and Live at ENO; theatre includes THE ANTIPODES (National Theatre), and THE DUCHESS OF MALFI (the Almeida). Film includes THE FLY ROOM, screened at Woodstock Film Festival; SHE LIGHTS UP WELL at SOHO International Film Festival; and BUT NOT FOR ME at Brooklyn Film Festival. Anna Yates trained at the University of Sydney and New York University’s Tisch School of Art, where she received the J.S. Seidman Award for Excellence in Design.   The creative team is completed by Assistant Director Maria Zemlinskaya, Lighting Designer Jess Bernberg, Sound Designer George Dennis and Movement Director Chi-San Howard.   /ENDS/  Glee & Me - Listings Information A Royal Exchange Theatre production GLEE & ME Written by Stuart Slade Directed by Nimmo Ismail 11 Sep – 30 Oct We continue to operate under a reduced capacity and for 5 shows social distancing will remain in place