BLOODY MARY: LIVE Comes to Coventry City Of Culture

After the pandemic cancellation of its premiere in 2020, Bloody Mary: LIVE!-a darkly comedic new play about the notorious Queen of England-is back from the dead.

The play was originally programmed to be performed with Assembly at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2020. Now, Bloody Mary: LIVE! will play from August 24-September 5, 2021 in performance and bar space The Treehouse as part of Assembly Festival Garden for the Coventry City of Culture 2021.

The show features Mary Tudor, otherwise known as Bloody Mary, as a teenager, performing a snarky stand-up set to explain why she burned all those people at the stake. In her set, she confesses what it was like to be the daughter of Henry VIII, to watch her parents go through the worst divorce, like, ever, and to grow up a little bit jealous of her younger sister Elizabeth I. This biting new play is written and performed by Olivia Miller, and was shortlisted for the 2020 Les Enfants Terribles Award.

Olivia Miller, an artist based in New York City, first began writing her debut play Bloody Mary: LIVE! while completing her MFA in Acting at the Brown University/Trinity Theatre program in 2019. Bloody Mary: Live! is produced by Part of the Night, a production company that blends artforms like comedy and theatre to create inclusive and accessible nights out.

Olivia Miller said: "At first, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the fact that I saw myself in someone who burned so many people at the stake. But before Mary went all in on the torches, her fire burned differently: she was an incredibly devoted daughter, a highly educated woman, and a fiercely passionate believer. And then...well, trauma's a bitch: she endured divorce after divorce, the death of her mom, being removed from the line of succession, being a lady in waiting for her baby sister, threats from her father, abuse from her father, and the list just goes on. There's a tragedy wrapped up in the horror of what she became - so naturally, I've written a comedy. I find Mary's journey to be endlessly fascinating, artistically rich, and equal parts devastating and hilarious; I hope you will as well.

Olivia Munk said: "I have known Olivia Miller since the first day of our freshman year at Harvard University, almost 10 years ago, and it is an honour to direct her first project as both writer and performer. Bloody Mary: LIVE! will resonate with anyone who has ever fought with their parents, struggled with their siblings, or ever wanted to burn it all down. It's historical fiction, a stand-up set, and a coming-of-age story all in one. By transporting England's first queen into Gen Z, we're investigating how women in power have been considered through the ages and how they still fight to be heard today. Sometimes, starting a fire is the only way to get noticed.

Jessica Bickel-Barlow said: "As a producer and Artistic Director for Part of the Night, I was thrilled when Olivia Miller shared her award-nominated debut play with us. It brilliantly blends the classic stand-up set format with the one woman show and will welcome fans of both comedy and theatre. Part of the Night is all about expanding the reach of the arts by blending performance genres and going to unconventional spaces. We are excited to bring this hybrid show to one of Assembly's most exciting venues -- bar and performance space The Treehouse."

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