Anita Parry Stars In WHAT WOULD HELEN MIRREN DO?, Waterloo East Theatre, From February 2012

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A laugh-out-loud play about love, work, letting go, and finding out who we really want to be, written for Anita by Josie Melia, What Would?Helen?Mirren Do? runs for a four-week season at Waterloo East Theatre from Tuesday February 28 - Sunday March 25.

 

Press?Night is Thursday March 1 at 7.30pm

 

Susan is a long-term supermarket checkout operator from Oldham. She's never had to give much thought to role models until she gets promoted and is forced to adopt one. Oscar winning actress and international star Helen Mirren is an unlikely choice, but Susan's life changes dramatically when she starts to ask herself, 'What would Helen Mirren do?'

 

On opening night at the Brighton Festival Fringe last year, Helen Mirren sent Anita a crate of champagne and a good luck message. "We are looking forward to cracking open the last bottle of 'Helen's champagne' in London,"?says Anita.

 

Anita Parry is an actress/director whose recent work includes The Seagull at Northampton Theatre Royal directed by Simon Godwin and 'The Last King of Devonport', directed by Steve Marmion. Until 2002 Anita was joint artistic director of Theatre and beyond, the Brighton-based theatre company dedicated to platforming new writing. Anita has also played Shirley Valentine in Willy Russell's one-woman stage play, for which she received a best actress award.

 

Josie Melia (writer) is an award-winning writer whose work includes 'Six Inches of Travel' for Brighton Festival's main programme, the screenplay for the UK Film Council film 'Feis' starring Jean Boht, and several commissioned youth theatre productions. 'What Would Helen Mirren Do?' is Josie and Anita's fourth collaboration, their first as actress and writer and the first to draw on their North of England upbringing. 

 

Peter Ellis (director) is best known as an actor in which for playing Chief Supt Brownlow in ITV's The Bill. He recently toured with Theatre Royal Bath Productions as Mr Bennett opposite Susan Hampshire in 'Pride and Prejudice.' His other acting credits include Victoria Wood's Acorn Antiques and Talent. Peter and Anita first met when cast opposite each other in 'Educating Rita.' 

 

Louis Ling (producer) recently co-produced The Kissing Dance (Jermyn Street Theatre) and On the 20th Century (Union Theatre)

 

"Shirley Valentine meets The Office" 

The Guardian

 

"A delicious little comedy"

The Scotsman