She Opened the Door!

NOW touring & Booking autumn 2010 & spring/summer/autumn 2011

(..a play that is certain to become a theatrical treasure!) - Marion Cox Dorset Echo 2010

The Wife, the Mother, the Other Woman and the (Ruined) Maid

- a powder keg ready to blow in the world of Thomas Hardy!

Award winning AsOne Theatre Company presents a premier tour of a play based on fact interweaving the real and fictional women from Hardy's life and work with his first wife Emma at its heart. The play opened at the prestigious International Hardy Festival at Dorchester's Corn Exchange on Sunday August 1st with a full house and rave reviews; ('...I am sure the audience tonight will spread the word like wild-fire!' - Mike Nixon, Sec. Thomas Hardy Society)

Photograph: Ian Brooke

Cast: Dani Bright (The Ruined Maid), Mary Lou Delplanque (The Mother), Jane McKell (The Wife ) & Trisha Lewis (The Other Woman)

Production Team: Artistic Director/Producer - Jane Mckell, Writer & Director - Peter J Cooper, Composer - Roderick Skeaping, Designer - Annette Sumption, Costume maker - Emily Smith, Lighting - John Newton, Audio Visual - Kevin Butcher, Stage Management - Ian Rixon, Set building & making - Brendan Gregg assisted by AsOne trainee Sarah Warren

Premiere performance was at the Thomas Hardy International Festival Corn Exchange, Dorchester 1st August

Autumn 2010 Tour Dates:

* The Playhouse, Weston Super Mare - Friday 24th September, 7.30pm -01934645544

* Backwell Playhouse, Bristol -14th October, 7.30pm - 01305 835541

* Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth -24th October, 2.30pm - 01305835541

* The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage - 6th November, 7.30pm - 01929 422239

Spring 2011 Tour dates

*The Athenaeum Theatre, Warminster - 5th February, 7.30 pm

*The Arts Centre, Wellington - 11th February, 7.30 pm

*The Rondo Arts Centre, Bath - 17th February, 7.30 pm

*The Lighthouse Studio, Poole - 18th February, 7.30 pm

*The Arts Centre, Bridport - date TBC

*The Exchange, Sturminster Newton - TBC

The Play

Cleverly interweaving some of Hardy's characterful dialogue, this play with music takes a fresh look at Thomas hardy's first wife Emma and her relationship with Dorset's literary genius at the height of his fame. It takes place in the garden of the couple's home, Max Gate in Dorchester. Hardy's possessive mother, Jemima comes to visit for the first and only time and Mrs Florence Henniker arrives on the new fangled ladies safety bicycle, add a feisty (ruined) house-maid, some skeletons and a ghost or two to Emma's already tangled nerves, and you have a powder keg ready to blow! With music by world renowned composer Roderick Skeaping, design by the talented Annette Sumption, beautiful projected imagary and costumes expect an evening of quality and surprise. Be prepared to be touched, laugh and learn something. Although full of fresh ideas for Hardy enthusiasts - this is above all an entertaining, topical story of what fame and notoriety can do to relationships.

Artistic Director Jane McKell says:

Some two years ago I had the idea to produce a new piece of theatre about the real and fictional women surrounding Thomas Hardy at the height of his fame. I wanted to take a fresh look at the world of Hardy; pose questions about what happens to the women in orbit around a starry charismatic. Very relevant today. One day - when talking to both Jeremy Pope, and the Thomas Hardy Society Secretary, Mike Nixon about promoting Dorset - it occurred to me this piece of theatre was a great way to indulge in my passions of Hardy and Dorset. So I commissioned our 2010/11 touring play from the wonderful Peter John Cooper - who already has had some 50 plays staged, and had adapted Thomas Hardy's writing in the past. He loved the idea of researching and writing about the world surrounding the man himself. Peter had directed AsOne's very successful touring production Hey Baby! in 2009, and so I controversially asked him to direct as well as write She Opened the Door. He made himself a promise - and left the writer 'in the pub on the corner when the director was in the rehearsal room. Peter revelled in working on the text as a director with the AsOne cast in the best of creative processes. It was a industriously wonderful experience. The addition of Roderick Skeaping to our creative team was a privilege; this internationally renowned composer - with theatre, film and television as well as concert platform under his bulging belt of world-wide experience - agreed to compose the music and songs for She Opened the Door. Roddy has written for Peter J Cooper's lyrics before and they make a formidably imaginative team. Once the play was cast Roddy had a session with each performer and carefully crafted the arrangements to suit both character and performer. The songs in four distict styles of the period (1895) ranging from Quadrille, through Music Hall and Parlour songs to Lieder (romantic lyrical); these are all as soliloquys; the audience overhearing the inner most thoughts of the characters. The dramatic and beautiful lighting and projected image design are by John Newton of Lymelight and Kevin Butcher respectively. The set design is by the talented and lovely, Annette Sumption who - with utter simplicity required by a company, touring varied venues from the ballroom of an hotel to small village hall and art centre up to large theatre - creates magic giving the performers a wonderful space to inhabit who in turn with their crafted characters bring alive the story. The talented AsOne performers (listed under the photo earlier) are all experienced professionals from Dorset, as are the dedicated technicians and stage crew; proving this county is full of artistic brilliance that never ceases to amaze. Who says you have to live in a big city to enjoy a cultural working and leisure experience. AsOne Theatre is dedicated to creating theatre out of unique yet universal Dorset stories with excellent production values, and bringing it to the doorstep of people in Wider Wessex and beyond. 'Projecting the Future; Remembering the Past'.