Tangled Thread's AFTER THE HEAT, WE BATTLE FOR THE HEART to Premiere at VAULT Festival

Tangled Thread Theatre's world premiere of the new play AFTER THE HEAT, WE BATTLE FOR THE HEART, inspired by the extraordinary true story of female bullfighter Conchita Cintrón, comes to London's VAULT Festival from 24 February with a press night on 25 February and runs through 28 February 2016.

AFTER THE HEAT, WE BATTLE FOR THE HEART is written by Tallulah Brown, the acclaimed writer of 2015's There's a Monster in the Lake

'The gift of the duende' - it can come, and it can go. It's a dance, a game in which you compete to the death.

Spain, 1949. Conchita is about to enter the ring and face her 750th bull. She plaits her hair, she picks up her sword and she prays. Franco's law has banned women from bullfighting on foot. Conchita is about to take matters into her own hands. One false step and a bull's horn could pierce an artery, toss her high into the air. She's seen blood shoot from a matador's thighs so hard it could have painted a wall.

England, 2015. Half a century later Ruth gets back from a salsa lesson, steps up on to her window sill and readies herself to jump. In a split second this modern woman comes face to face with the smallness of her flat, the silence of her bed, her squashed up and sweat-stuck daily commute. Her inability to fight. Her cowardice. Her fear. Her block.

Under the heat of the Spanish sun, in the land of bullfighting, flamenco and the gift of duende, these two pertinent stories collide. By turns passionate, violent, darkly funny and moving, After the Heat, we Battle for the Heart is inspired by the true story of female bullfighter Conchita Cintrón and the rebellious act that came to define her career.

Playwright Tallulah Brown returns to Vault Festival after her highly acclaimed play There's a Monster in the Lake which received five star reviews and two sell out runs. Her first play Phantasmagoria won the Audience Choice award as part of the Manchester In-Fringe Theatre Awards. She is part of the Soho Theatre Young Writer's Company and was on Channel 4's 2014 Screenwriting Scheme. Her other plays include Staring at You (shortlisted for Soho Theatre Young Writer's Award) and Rosebuds (shortlisted for Funny Women Awards).

Director Carla Kingham is co-artistic director of Rough-Hewn Theatre Company and an associate producer for GiddyOx Productions. She trained at Mountview and is a graduate of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme.

The cast includes Jennie Eggleton, Paula Rodriguez, Josh Taylor and Fed Zanni.

Jennie Eggleton plays Ruth. She trained at Drama Studio London. Stage credits include Close to You (Edinburgh Festival and Southwark Playhouse), Ashes (Park Theatre), East End Boys West End Girls (Arcola) and Only Forever (Hope Theatre). Paula Rodriguez plays Conchita. She is a Spanish actress who trained at RESAD and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Theatre credits include Dominus (Theatre503). She regularly collaborates with The Spanish Theatre Company, Underconstuction and CASA Festival. Josh Taylor plays Sam. He trained at LAMDA. He has just completed filming The Crown (Netflix). Theatre credits include Each His Own Wilderness (Orange Tree Theatre), Flowers of the Field, Les Enfants Terribles (White Bear), Lillies (Courtyard Theatre). Television includes Twentysomething Londoner. Film includes The Bad Education Movie, Testament of Youth and Starvecrow. Fed Zanni plays Ruy. He trained at Arts Ed. Theatre credits include The Night of the Iguana (West End). Television includes Being Human, Hotel Babylon and Afterlife.

IF YOU GO:
AFTER THE HEAT, WE BATTLE FOR THE HEART
Vault Festival: Forge

24 Feb - 28 Feb 2016 at 7.45pm.
Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.
Running time: 60 mins, no interval.

Address: VAULT 2016. The Vaults. Leake Street, Waterloo, SE1 7NN.
Nearest tube: Waterloo

Tickets: £12 (£8 on Saturday matinee)
Box Office: www.thevaultfestival.com

Tangled Thread Theatre is committed to empowering new creatives and performers in the early stages of their careers. They give them a creative platform in which to excel and grow. They have promised to employ at least 60% of the company for each production from recent graduates. As signatories of Equity's Professionally Made Professionally Paid campaign, they guarantee fair pay for artists. They are dedicated to exploring that which is often unheard and unseen. They seek new writing, new stories and new talent, exposing and unravelling the unknown, the misunderstood, and embracing it as creative fuel to invigorate their work and audience imagination. For more, visit tangledthreadtheatre.co.uk.

To post a comment, you must register and login.