An Encounter with TS Eliot’s The Waste Land, a pair of yellow sunglasses and some neurochemicals gone awry.
Thunder rumbles inside and out as Jane reaches for ‘The Waste Land’. Weaving her trials and tribulations into Eliot’s masterpiece, words become a springboard for dark humour and emotional release in a collision of worlds in which human interactions – medicated and non-medicated – play out. Medicines can provide some relief but respite is always tinged with knowing that the storm clouds will gather again and the thunder rage.
A bold, mischievous one woman show, written and performed by Jane Williams whose recent work includes ‘The Odd Couple’ for Ten Feet Tall Theatre Company (“Jane Williams as Olive is effortlessly charismatic, nailing Olive’s dry wit and brash charm while hinting at her softer side” – Theatre Scotland) with dramaturgy and direction by Di Sherlock whose work includes ‘The World’s Wife’ and ‘Miss Havisham’s Expectations’ for Linda Marlowe at Trafalgar Studios.
“This is an intelligent, poignant and honest show that draws beautifully on TS Eliot’s The Waste Land. Re-framing the poem through the lens of a person experiencing mental health challenges, Williams’ writing is sharp and crisp and her performance warm and distinctive.” Kath Burlinson – audience review from 2023 Edinburgh Fringe run
“Williams…cleverly weaves the trials and tribulations of her own life into passages from Eliot’s poem that seem relevant to her condition and interprets it in a wider context…Her performance is a journey of heartfelt mental health experiences that change like the weather and can move with the seasons” Broadway Baby