Cambridge University Edinburgh's FOUR CUT SUNFLOWERS to Play Edinburgh Fringe Festival

It's the mid-19th century and Europe is being transformed by political and cultural revolution. In the midst of all this change, Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger is left a widow with an incredible inheritance: 400 unsold paintings, a one-year-old baby, and a desire to change the world. This play follows the incredible true story of Johanna, who single-handedly ensured Vincent Van Gogh's success. An exploration of grief, desire, guilt and duty, which illuminates the woman previously left in the artist's shadow.

Weaving together real letters and diary entries from Johanna, Vincent, and his brother Theo with original dialogue by Manon Harvey, Four Cut Sunflowers is a lyrical and timely examination of the rich history of women's roles in shaping our contemporary understanding of 'male' art and culture, and a testament to the political power of creativity. A cast of four University of Cambridge students - accompanied by original animated projections - lead us through a landscape of colour, light, and change. The play follows Johanna from her marriage to Vincent's brother Theo in the 1880s to her years spent in Europe promoting Vincent's art and message following the brothers' deaths, her foundational role in the women's socialist movement to her time in New York in the 1910s.

Manon says of her script's protagonist: "Johanna continues to be an inspiration to me. The passion and fervour which she dedicated to the pursuit of creativity, social justice, and Vincent's legacy is truly incredible. This show is testament to her bravery and strength". Director Elizabeth Laurence adds that "developing a show out of such an extraordinary wealth of primary materials has been a joy. The spirits of Jo, Vincent and Theo all radiate out of their personal writing. They each have so much to teach us: about what it means to be an artist, about how to love, about how to live with grief. I can't wait to bring the vitality and integrity of their lives to the stage."

Four Cut Sunflowers premiers at the Haldane Theatre, theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall, 14th-26th August (not 20th), 20:40.

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