Documentary to Follow Ruth Wilson in THE SECOND WOMAN at the Young Vic

A documentary is to be made of Ruth Wilson in her 24-hour performance of The Second Woman at the Young Vic.

Fremantle-owned UK factual label Undeniable is working on The Second Woman (Working Title,) a feature documentary following the actor in a one-off performance piece as she performs a single break up scene over and over playing opposite 100 different men, non-binary, and queer people across a full 24 hours. Inspired by John Cassavetes' 1977 film Opening Night, the scene involves a couple negotiating a long-term relationship that has lost its romance and vitality.

The production has an entirely female and non-binary crew - both on the documentary and backstage at the theatre.

The Second Woman play is created and directed by playwrights and directors, Anna Breckon and Nat Randall and co-produced by the Young Vic Theatre and LIFT- London's international festival of theatre. It is produced in association with Ruth Wilson, presented in association with House of Oz.

Commenting on the announcement of The Second Woman (w/t) documentary, Ruth Wilson said: "Theatre to me is always a magical space of shared belief and imagination. As an artist I'm always curious about putting myself in scenarios where I don't know how I'm going to get through it. Which is exactly why this endurance performance is so exciting. It's an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime experience and to have such a talented, all-female and non-binary crew on hand to capture every moment should make for a fascinating watch."

Director Ursula Macfarlane commented: "I am thrilled to be working with the incandescent Ruth Wilson, Undeniable and the Young Vic to make such a challenging, bold unpredictable film. With this unique and magical theatrical experience at the heart of our film, balancing on the blurred edges between real life and performance, we'll explore gender power dynamics, human relationships, artifice and authenticity and the very nature of acting. This is a leap into the unknown for all of us, and a storytelling challenge like this is the greatest gift for a filmmaker."

Mandy Chang, Global Head of Documentaries at Fremantle said: "The opportunity to make a film woven around this ground-breaking piece of theatre, with a team that is completely made up of female professionals is a rare gift, as is working with two great talents in their fields - actor Ruth Wilson and director Ursula Macfarlane. Ruth's bravery, boldness and sense of adventure in taking on this role is a joy to see unfold. Ursula is one of the foremost women filmmakers working in the documentary field today and her work has focused on a wide diversity of female characters in all their guises during her career."

Undeniable is already developing several international projects and partnerships with high-profile, award-winning filmmakers, including Amy Berg (Deliver Us from Evil, Phoenix Rising), Chris Smith (Tiger King, Bad Vegan), Penny Lane and Gabriel Sedgwick (Hail Satan?, Listening to Kenny G).

The Second Woman begins at 4pm on 19 May at the Young Vic

Photo Credit: Helen Murray