NEWS: Tree @ Alphabetti Theatre

Despite occasional high-profile roles hitting our big and small screens, there still seem to be frustratingly few roles for mature women that don’t veer into the typical stereotypes of mothers, grandmothers and wives. It’s a frustration shared by actors Jacqueline Philips and Judi Earl, who were motivated by their shared dissatisfaction with the lack of diverse and interesting roles available to them, leading them to collaborating with writers Gary Kitching and Steve Byron (part of the team who’ve also brought us Bacon Knees And Sausage Fingers and Rocket Girl). Together, they’ve crafted Tree, a production that steps outside of a gendered lens.

Performed at Alphabetti Theatre from Tuesday 25^th January until Saturday 12^th February, Tree follows Hazel and Rowan after a chance meeting. The pair are polar opposites; Rowan is a fantasist, happy to dabble in conspiracy theories and live her life through the internet. By contrast, Hazel is worldly and lives her life with her feet planted firmly on the ground. Through a series of intimate yet uncomfortable conversations, sound-tracked by a series of timeless songs exploring the idea of balance, Hazel comes to confront the fragile nature of life, while Rowan is given the opportunity to re-assess her actions. By exploring the concept of humanity in a post-truth world, Tree is set to re-evaluate the roles that we see older women play.

Tree is performed at Alphabetti Theatre from Tuesday 25^th January until Saturday 12^th February.