The Hope Theatre, Islington, London
27th November – 22 December
Tuesday – Saturday only, 7:45pm
£15 / £12
“Christmas is a right frightening bastard. If you can survive it in here then there’s hope.”
Head-Rot Holiday was first staged by Clean Break, a theatre company dedicated to giving a voice to women in the criminal justice system. Nearly three decades later, Weighed In mounts a special revival of this irreverent dark comedy from one of the most important feminist writers of her generation, Sarah Daniels (Masterpieces, The Gut Girls).
Working in association with Women In Prison, this production, directed by Will Maynard, sheds a light on neglected stories of women caught in the criminal justice system.
“December 1991. In a secure hospital for the ‘criminally insane’, three women prepare for the Christmas disco. The parole board’s recipe for early release: put on a dress, wear some make-up… and dance with a rapist or killer of your choice. Ruth hears voices but distracts herself with karaoke. Claudia defies the racist nurses and longs to see her children. Dee applies mascara for the first time and is paid a visit by an angel. Behind iron bars, the patients and nurses of Penwell Hospital ask: in such a topsy-turvy world, who are you to say that I’m insane?”
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Image courtesy of Weighed In Productions