The Lost Voice of Anne Bronte is written by Cate Whittaker, with Bedelia Lowrencev playing the title role, her twin brother Jeremy playing Branwell Bronte and their brother Marlon playing the Bronte’s father, the reverend Patrick Bronte.
Another brother, Harrison, will oversee the technical aspects of the Sydney show and their mother Elizabeth is directing the production.
The cast is rounded out by Rose Treloar playing Emily, Heather Tleige playing Charlotte, Gabrielle Green playing their aunt, and Cathy Friend in the role of Tabitha Aykroyd, a servant to the Bronte family.
Describing Anne as “the first whistleblower on wife abuse”, Elizabeth says the play will make its world debut in Sydney before the cast travels to the United Kingdom to perform in the Haworth Schoolroom as part of the bicentenary celebrations for Anne Bronte.
“This is a play about the lives of the famous Bronte sisters, Charlotte and Emily, and their not-so-famous brother, Branwell, and the youngest sister – Anne,” she said.
“It’s an intense gothic drama with little snippets of poetry here and there.
“The play includes such timeless issues as thwarted love, a mysterious death, an overbearing parent, sibling rivalry and the desire to have one’s voice heard.
“It unearths how the sisters were inspired to write Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.”
Elizabeth says directing her children on stage is easy because the family have “an artistic synergy”.
“And they’ve also had me as a drama teacher for years and years,” she added with a laugh.
Playing at the AMPA Tom Mann Theatre in Surry Hills from Friday, January 31, to Sunday, February 2, get tickets from Trybooking.com.
