Brookside and Emmerdale alum Eithne Browne and John McArdle will lead the cast of Maggie May’, a new play by award-winning playwright Frances Poet.
Directed by Jemima Levick the play is a co-production between Curve, Leeds Playhouse, and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.
Maggie May is a play about an ordinary Leeds family learning to cope with the realities of living with dementia. Written with honesty, balance and humour, it is ultimately an uplifting story of love in all its guises.
Eithne Browne will play the central character Maggie, alongside John McArdle as her husband Gordon, with Mark Holgate (Emmerdale, Coronation Street) playing their son Mark, Shireen Farkhoy (Doctors, Vera, Waterloo Road) as Mark’s girlfriend Claire, and Maxine Finch (Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, DCI Banks) as Maggie’s best friend, Jo.
Jemima Levick said “From the moment I first heard about the project, its roots and its ambitions, I could sense that it was important, in the way it was stretching the boundaries of what and who theatre is for.”
Playwright Frances Poet said: “It’s always exciting to see your writing in front of an audience but Maggie May feels particularly special since it was written with such a strong audience focus. At every stage of development, from its very conception, this play has been designed to welcome the broadest possible audience to share Maggie’s story.
The creative team includes set & costume design by Francis O’Conner, with lighting design by Chris Davey, sound design by Claire McKenzie and casting by Kay Magson.
Maggie May will premiere at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 14 – 28 March before heading to Leeds Playhouse (31 March – 18 April) and Curve, Leicester (28 April – 2 May).
All performances of Maggie May at Curve and Leeds Playhouse will be Dementia Friendly, with additional staff, detailed pre-show information and a quiet space, while Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will offer a range of dementia-friendly performances as part of their own commitment to welcoming audiences affected by dementia. Each venue will also host a free interactive installation – The Listening Booth – designed to amplify the experiences of people living with dementia.
