ASYLUM OF GRACE Opens in Manchester, Dec 13

LEM PRODUCTIONS and ELI? bring ASYLUM OF GRACE to Manchester. The show will premiere at The Three Minute Theatre from December 13.
  
Written by Neil Ely and directed by Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, and set in the early 1980s, the play focuses on free-spirited Amber, from Manchester living in Eastbourne, working as a waitress for the summer season. On a night out she stumbles back to local lad Sean's house; that night they sleep together and their lives change forever.

Amber finds out she is pregnant by Sean; quickly they find themselves being pressured into a marriage and for Amber a new home far from Manchester. It soon becomes clear that neither Amber nor Sean is happy - and this not helped by Sean’s overbearing mother Ruth. Depression starts to kick in for amber, as Sean’s frustrations lead to him becoming neglectful and abusive.

Once Grace is born, post-natal depression kicks in for Amber, as she is isolated from her own baby and the world around her and as Sean's mother Ruth begins to inform control.  One night Amber hits rock bottom, says goodbye to her child, walks to the top floor window and says: "If life is worth living then let me be free," and she jumps. Amber survives and is committed to a psychiatric unit where her real journey to find faith begins.
  
Genuinely moving and humorous and beautifully written, ASYLUM OF GRACE is inspired by true events that happened while the writer Neil Ely’s mother was living in Eastbourne. Neil’s mother wrote a poem called institutionalised about time she spent on a psychiatric unit during the 1980s suffering from post-natal depression, after giving birth to him.  After reading a poem she wrote about this time in her life and speaking to his mother about experiences on the unit it inspired him to write this powerful story.      

Asylum of Grace is brought to you by Lem Productions set up by Lloyd Eyre-Morgan (Director) and new company Eli ? productions set up by Neil Ely (Writer, Co-Director) . Lloyd Eyre-Morgan has had 5 sell out plays produced in Manchester including Dream On, Celluloid and most recently Shades of Diva and co founded the successful theatre festival Queer as Fringe. He has recently adapted his play Dream On into a feature film which has been picked up for general distribution by TLA Releasing, set for a UK release next year. This is Neil’s first theatre production, but he is currently developing a TV pilot and his next play 3 in a bed, both set to be released next year.  The play boasts a strong cast, Sian Hill (JB Shorts Theatre Production) , Janet Bamford ( Emmerdale ITV, Dream On Lemfilms) , Emily Spowage (Dream On feature film) , Rob Ward ( Loaded 24/7 theatre festival) Joe Watts ( The History Boys theatre production) JamEs Devlin ( Bruised theatre production) , Kathryn McColl (Club Class theatre production) Maddy Myles (Inside the Kremlin BBC television).

Asylum of Grace is to be performed at Manchester’s home of new writing, The Three Minute Theatre, Affleck’s Palace, Oldham Street, Manchester this December, then will have a special performance in the official line-up of International Women’s Week in March next year.

Thursday 13th December – Saturday 14th December 7.30pm

Tickets Now on sale  www.asylumofgrace.co.uk 

Craig Hepworth is a former musical theatre actor who now owns and is the artistic director of the popular Manchester Fringe Theatre company Vertigo Theatre Productions. The company have scored big hits with original plays written by him and his writing partner as well as producing, Directing and starring in the UK Premiere of Dog Sees God. Theatre is his number one love (as well as his partner of course) and if not working on a new play he’s normally reviewing other peoples plays for a UK Theatre site.Aside from his love of theatre he can be found In bars, cinemas or gossiping on Facebook, or he will be found embracing his second love....campy TV shows.

More Articles by This Author...