Following an extended run at Battersea Arts Centre which garnered a series of five-star reviews (“An exhilarating ride” – The Guardian; “The best thing she’s ever done” – The Scotsman), a sell-out run at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, an Offies 2019 Award win, and a hugely successful run of performances in Australia last month, Bryony Kimmings’ I’m A Phoenix, Bitch comes to HOME Manchester, Tue 26 – Sat 30 November 2019.
Bryony has spent the last few years on collaborative projects, including co- writing the screenplay for Last Christmas with Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) and starring Emilia Clarke (Games of Thrones), scheduled for release on 15 November 2019; and developing the musical A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer, which played at HOME in September 2016, in collaboration with theatre company Complicité.
However, after years of telling other people’s stories, recent personal cataclysmic life events have led Bryony back to her original solo practice. I’m a Phoenix, Bitch combines personal stories with epic film, soundscapes and ethereal music to create a powerful, dark and joyful work about motherhood, heartbreak and finding inner strength.
In 2016, Bryony nearly drowned. Post-natal breakdowns, an imploding relationship, and an extremely sick child left her sitting beneath the waves hoping she could slowly turn to shell.
Two years later, and she is able to deal with life again, but wears the scars of that year like a dark and heavy cloak. Who do we become after trauma? How do we turn pain into power? How do we fly instead of drown? We will need new myths to survive the end of existence as we know it.
“My shows are usually born out of me going: ‘We don’t talk about this enough, this is problematic in terms of a political or feminist narrative’,” she says. “My hope with this show is to give the almost unspeakable traumas associated with post-natal depression and an ill child a voice. I wanted to create a show that cuts to the heart of these things, but does it in a way that people can relate to.”
Join Bryony on an incredible journey as I’m a Phoenix, Bitch creates a new legend; that of the invincible and fearless woman; a tale Bryony wishes she had known from birth.
I’m a Phoenix, Bitch is financially supported by Arts Council England, commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre, Arts Centre Melbourne, and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, supported by Latitude Festival, and made in association with leading arts promoters and producers Avalon.
I’m A Phoenix, Bitch is not suitable for people under 16.
PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
Tue 26 November 2019, 20:00
Wed 27 November 2019, 20:00 (press night performance)
Thu 28 November 2019, 20:00 (Caption sub-titled performance)
Fri 29 November 2019, 20:00 (Audio-described performance)
Sat 30 November 2019, 14:00 (British Sign Language-interpreted performance)
Sat 30 November 2019, 20:00
TICKETS £20 (£18 concessions)
