The Hope Theatre and LWL Entertainment Announces a Co-Production of Bryony Lavery's HER ACHING HEART

The Hope Theatre is thrilled to announce that LWL Entertainment Ltd will coproduce their third 2016 in-house production, Bryony Lavery's bodice-ripping musical full of gothic silliness and sapphic tomfoolery, HER ACHING HEART.

Grab a bonnet, lace up your corset, and prepare to swoon, as this tongue-in-cheek musical whirlwind parodies the best in bodice-ripping romance. Innocent maidens and haughty aristocrats ardently pursue each other through a tempestuous, gothic landscape, replete with murder, elopement and heaving bosoms a-plenty as two heartbroken women jump between the pages of the same bonk-busting paperback - and play all the parts between them!

Andrea Leoncini, producer for LWL Entertainment said, "Director Matthew Parker has established his theatre as one of the leading lights of the London Off West End theatre scene, and we're excited to support him in this 25th Anniversary production of Lavery's musical."

LWL Entertainment Ltd. invests in and produces West End and Off West End theatre. Previous work includes the world premiere of The Tailor-Made Man - A New Musical at the Arts Theatre (The Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph, twice The Times Critics' Choice - Libby Purves), Off West End Theatre Awards - nominated play In The Dead of Night at the Landor Theatre ("well-crafted and original", London Theatre 1), Off West End Theatre Awards - nominated revival Howard Barker's Gertrude - The Cry at Theatre N16 ("blistering, no-holds-barred", The Reviews Hub), the world premiere of Savage at the Arts Theatre ( "desperately essential theatre", Jonathan Baz), and Off West End Award nominated Sid at the Arts Theatre ("a thrilling script executed with absolute gusto", West End Wilma).

HER ACHING HEART will feature original music by Ian Brandon (Notes From My Shelf, Big Bruvva, On Our Street) and is directed by Matthew Parker; The Hope's Off West End award-nominated Artistic Director. The Associate Producer for The Hope Theatre is David Ralf.

The Hope Theatre is an award-winning 50-seat venue above the world famous Hope & Anchor pub on Islington's Upper Street. A place for audiences and companies to explore big ideas, the venue nurtures and supports exciting companies to present a mix of new writing, lost gems from well-known writers, re-polished classics and innovatively staged musicals. Her Aching Heart is the third 2016 in-house production at The Hope, following Sea Life by Lucy Catherine and Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, also directed by Matthew Parker.

The Hope Theatre receives no public subsidy. It was the first Off West End venue to open with a house agreement with Equity, to ensure a legal wage for all actors, stage managers and box office staff working at the theatre.

Bryony Lavery's plays include Her Aching Heart [Pink Paper Play of The Year, 1992], A Wedding Story, Last Easter, Smoke, Dirt and More Light. Her play Frozen, commissioned by Birmingham Repertory Theatre, won the TMA Best Play Award, the Eileen Anderson Central Television Award and was then produced on Broadway where it was nominated for four Tony Awards. Stockholm, for Frantic Assembly, won the Wolff-Whiting award for Best play of 2008. Beautiful Burnout for The National Theatre of Scotland and Frantic Assembly received a Fringe First at Edinburgh, before performances in the UK, New York, Australia and New Zealand. Stage adaptations include: 101 Dalmatians [a musical] at Chichester 2014, A Christmas Carol [for Birmingham Rep/Chichester Festival Theatre], Precious Bane, The Wicked Lady, Treasure Island [National Theatre 2014-15] and Behind The Scenes At The Museum for York Theatre Royal.

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