THE Cotswold Players 2016-17 season begins at The Cotswold Playhouse in Stroud with The Female of the Species from October 12-15 at 7.30pm.
This hugely comic play by Australian playwright, Joanna Murray-Smith, was first performed in Melbourne 10 years ago.
The play is a satire about celebrity feminists, with a plot loosely inspired by a real-life incident in 2000, when author Germaine Greer was held at gunpoint in her own home by a disturbed student.
Margot Mason is a feminist writer suffering from writer's block.
Molly, a deranged former student of Margot's, arrives unexpectedly at her country home with a gun and handcuffs Margot to her desk.
She blames Margot for warping her mother’s mind. Then, firstly, Tess, Margot’s daughter and then Bryan, her son-in-law, Frank a macho taxi-driver and finally Theo, her publisher, arrive to comment on Margot’s feminist failings.
There are many wickedly funny moments in a play that presents reactionary amusement in abundance.
The Female of the Species is the directorial debut at the Playhouse for Hannah McDonald.
Having studied Community Theatre in Newcastle-on-Tyne she joined the Players in 2010 after a long break from the stage and has acted in several plays since then.
Hannah’s cast is a strong team of experienced actors, led by Jenny Nixon in the role of Margot and introducing Christina Heward-Mills as her daughter, Tess.
The play contains very strong language and sexual references.
- The Female of The Species will show at The Cotswold Playhouse in Stroud from October 12-15.
- Tickets, priced at £13 (with concessions), are available online at cotswoldplayhouse.co.uk/tickets or by calling 0333 666 3366.
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