Preview: GAZE at Newcastle Northern Stage

S L Page presents:

GAZE

Newcastle Northern Stage

Thursday 25th November 2021

 

Written by S L Page

Directed by Tilly Branson

Performed by Kitty Randle, Esme Sears, Christina Berriman Dawson & Alex Tahnée

From disabled writer S.L.Page, GAZE is a new play about women’s voices, and the stories that we inherit and carry with us.

Brought to you by an all-women team, GAZE spans time periods from the 1890’s until now, where we follow two women on their journeys to discovering their identities. Alice Guy Blaché, the first real-life female filmmaker, is desperate for artistic freedom as her film career is burgeoning in the late 19th century, but faces countless barriers and betrayal. Rose, a modern-day film student, is grappling with her mental health in her battle to find a sense of purpose in her life.

Although worlds and centuries apart, together these women rebel against the difficulties that women have always come up against; through their love of film they fight to access the power, the autonomy and the creative freedom that we all deserve.

One of S.L.Page’s passions is film and film history, and whilst embarking on research in 2017 she came across Alice Guy Blaché. To her surprise, she had never heard of Alice, despite the fact that Alice was the first woman to direct a film, and the first person to direct a film with a narrative (The Fairy of the Cabbages, 1896). GAZE is a response to the fact that most people have never heard of this remarkable woman; it exists to spread the word of Alice’s untold story. Steeped in film history, feminism and addressing mental health, the play is inspired by an ambition to write about women that might otherwise be left out of the traditional history books.

GAZE has been supported through three periods of research and development by Arts Council England and S.L.Page is currently being supported by Northern Stage’s Beyond Programme. This time has been spent working with Director of Development Karen Traynor to develop the script, engaging with a dramaturg, sound designer, and testing out ideas to live and digital audiences.

GAZE is a funny, poignant and timely comment on what has changed for women across time, but - more importantly – what hasn’t.

Cast & Creatives:

Writer          S.L.Page

Director      Tilly Branson

Assistant Director          Hope Thain

Producer    Chloe Stott

Cast  Kitty Randle

          Esme Sears

          Christina Berriman Dawson

          Alex Tahnée

Set & Costume Designer       Eleanor Field

Production Manager & Sound/Lighting Designer        Louise Gregory

Filmmaker  Rachel Bunce

Director of Development        Karen Traynor

 

Tickets:

Date: Thursday 25^th November 2021

Times: 2.00pm & 7.00pm

Running time: approximately 70 mins, no interval

Ticket Prices: £10

Venue: Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE1 7RH

Tickets available online from https://www.northernstage.co.uk/event/gaze or from the box office: 0191 230 5151.

Both performances will be relaxed and BSL interpreted.

There will be a talk about unknown women from film history at 4.00pm which is free for ticket holders.