MADEMOISELLE F Comes to the Belgrade Theatre Next Month
Mademoiselle F is convinced she's stolen something, but she can't remember what. And now she can't stop thinking about polar bears.
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 31, 2022
This October, a powerful new drama comes to the Belgrade Theatre's B2 stage with Mademoiselle F, running from Tues 4 - Sat 8 Oct. Written by Vanessa Oakes and directed by Mark Evans, Mademoiselle F made its premiere last summer at the Shop Front Theatre, and now returns to Coventry in its new home of the Belgrade Theatre.
Mademoiselle F is convinced she's stolen something, but she can't remember what. And now she can't stop thinking about polar bears.
Mademoiselle F is an extraordinary and timely play about the links between mental health (OCD) and the environment, exploring how the environment impacts on an individual's search for recovery. Mademoiselle F was a patient of the famous nineteenth century French psychiatrist, Dr Esquirol. She was the first person to be recorded with OCD and her daily battle to engage with her treatment and recovery is central to the play's narrative.
The play imagines her encounters with a twenty first century Canadian polar bear. Sometimes naturalistic, sometimes comic and sometimes dreamlike, the play imagines the bear as acting variously as the voice of her treatment regime, as a representative of a modern natural world that is being destroyed, and as a friend and confidante for Mme F.
Reprising their roles from the 2021 production are Miriam Grace Edwards (Puss in Boots, 2019, Beauty and the Beast, 2021) as Mademoiselle F and Tyrone Huggins (Noughts & Crosses, RSC, Black Men Walking, Eclipse Theatre) as Polar Bear.
Coventry-based writer Vanessa Oakes said: "When a friend discovered that I had OCD, she said "that explains why your house is so clean". OCD is a very misunderstood condition with a lot of shame attached, which often stops people from admitting that they have obsessions and compulsions. I think it's about time to dispel some of the myths attached to OCD and explore how our modern-day compulsions are impacting on the natural world."
Director Mark Evans said: "This is a fascinating play to work on - it's such a rich and challenging script. The play offers multiple layers of meaning and the imaginative way in which Mademoiselle F and the polar bear interact resonates on so many levels. Miriam and Tyrone work wonderfully together and I can't wait to see what people make of this moving and timely piece. It feels so important right now to be exploring how we recover from the anxieties of the last two years, and how we reconnect with the world around us and recognise our impact on it and its impact on us."
Mademoiselle F runs on the Belgrade's B2 stage from Tues 4 - Sat 8 Oct. Tickets are available to book now at www.belgrade.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 024 7655 3055. Phone lines are open 10:30am-2pm, Mon-Sat.
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