And So Forth to Premiere DAMSEL/WIFE/WITCH at Chapel at Asylum This Sept

After an acclaimed public launch in May, And So Forth (ASF) is delighted to be premiering their inaugural show, DAMSEL/WIFE/WITCH, an interdisciplinary piece exploring issues of 21st Century gender expectation through fairy tale.

Performed by two actors, a singer and a pianist, DAMSEL/WIFE/WITCH was written by a close partnership of artists: a playwright, a librettist and a composer; it exemplifies ASF's focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and mutual support. Tapping into contemporary debate, DAMSEL/WIFE/WITCH explores the nuances of gender identity in a relationship put under pressure when the fun and games between HIM and HER threaten to go too far.

DAMSEL/WIFE/WITCH will be performed between 15th and 18th September in the atmospheric Chapel at Asylum, Peckham SE15. Doors will open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start, and tickets are on sale from £15 in advance via www.andsoforth.ticketsource.co.uk.

The creative team includes:

- Composer Lewis Murphy: Recently appointed Glyndebourne Young Composer in Resid- ence and recent graduate of the Royal College of Music.

- Playwright Richard Walls: Associate Artist at Theatre Absolute; member of Birmingham REP Foundry. His play Clubmartyr won the Judge's Award at Coventry Shoot Festival 2014.

- Librettist and Director Laura Attridge: Most recently premiered a site-specific song-cycle for the National Gallery and directed an international tour of La Boheme (Opera Loki).

"HER: Is that what you think happened between us? You saved me and in return I let you into my bed? That's the story? Hunter kills wolf, puts girl on horse, rides into the far, far away?" - from DAMSEL/WIFE/WITCH

According to ASF Artistic Director Laura Attridge, "This piece encapsulates everything at the heart of And So Forth, both in terms of creative process and subject matter. Exploring female and male roles in traditional fairy tales allowed us to tackle the ongoing debate surrounding gender expectations in the 21st Century in a fresh and unique way. We hope DAMSEL/WIFE/WITCH will unsettle, challenge and question the deep-rooted narratives we are told on a daily basis about what it means to be a man or a woman."

And So Forth is a new London-based theatre and opera company dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration between exceptional emerging artists, as committed to showcasing their members as they are to fostering a platform for future development and artistic growth. For more information, visit www.asfp.uk.

Pictured: Danielle Winter and Adam Drew perform an extract from DAMSEL/WIFE/WICH at the ASF Launch, June 2015.