Tuesday 11 February at 2:15pm
Linbury Studio Theatre, LAMDA
Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes, with no interval
Content warnings: Contains references to child loss, death and dying, alcohol abuse and drunkenness, miscarriage and sexism. Multiple references to use of blood. This performance contains the use of haze and smoke.
• You are welcome to leave and re-enter from the theatre as you need.
• There is a break-out room available called The Student Common Room.
• House lighting is on low throughout, never going to full black-out.
• Loud noises are reduced.
• No strobe lighting is used.
• You are welcome to react to the show however you want.
• At the end of this document is a show synopsis and sensory guide .
Here is a guide to sensory information symbols in this document:
Indicates potentially loud or sudden noises
Indicates bright or sudden lighting changes
Indicates a sad or potentially distressing scene
Indicates fighting, or use of guns/weapons
Indicates audience participation
When you arrive at LAMDA, the entrance to the building and Linbury Theatre is the closest entrance to Baron’s Court Station.
There will be a member of staff on the door who will take your name and scan your QR code ticket.
This is the Theatre Foyer and entrance to the Linbury Theatre. You may be asked to wait here until the house is open. You will be shown how to get to the Linbury Studio Theatre by an usher.
Toilets are located next to the bar.
LAMDA staff will be wearing LAMDA branded T-Shirts or lanyards.
If you need any assistance whilst in the building, please ask them.
When you enter the theatre, an Usher will take your ticket from you.
You are welcome to sit wherever you like.
You can come and go from the space whenever you like. The house lights will stay on low throughout the show.
There is a break-out space called ‘The Common Room’ which you are welcome to use at any point during the performance.
The Common Room is accessed via a corridor that follows on from the bar and the toilets.
If you aren’t sure at any point during your visit where to go, please ask an usher, who will be happy to assist you.
After the pre-show but before the actual show begins, the actors will introduce themselves and the characters they are playing.
The lights in the theatre will dim and she show will start. You can leave and re-enter if you need to through the doors you came in through.
At the end of the show the actors will come on and bow. You are welcome to clap at this point if you would like.
SISTER SALLY / SISTER DOUGLAS BRIE COVINGTON
SISTER MOORE SAMYA DE MEO
IDA JACKSON / SISTER RICE PHOENIX EDWARDS
Below is a brief synopsis of the play to aid in contextualizing the following sensory guide.
For years Sister Margaret Alexander has moved her Harlem congregation with a mixture of personal charisma and ferocious piety. But when Margaret's estranged husband, a scapegrace jazz musician, comes home to die, she is in danger of losing both her standing in the church and the son she has tried to keep on the godly path.
Below is a sensory guide for the performance that shows potential
actions in the play, split up by scenes
The actors may look at you or interact with you This is a fun opportunity to get a taste of the world we are about to enter into.
The congregation will begin to sing a song which the audience (you) will be encouraged to join in with. You will have been given a piece of paper with the lyrics on. It may be loud due to everyone singing together.
Sister Margaret will begin to preach a sermon during which the other actors will shout in agreement loudly throughout
As Margaret begins to sing ‘This Is The Day’ her son (David) will join in and use a tambourine which will be loud.
Sister Odessa will ask Brother Boxer to send a collection plate round and encourage the audience to pretend to put money in it. Feel free to join in and pretend to put money on the plate.
As Margaret gets ready to go to Philadelphia her husband Luke turns up He is clearly sick and ends up collapsing before being carried off by the congregation.
At the end of the act the congregation have an argument about Sister Margaret going to Philadelphia.
When Luke and David talk in his room, Luke is visibly unwell and coughs frequently.
When Margaret arrives back from Philadelphia she enters very excited and shouting
After Margaret hears music playing upstairs she has an argument with Luke over David. At the end of the argument we find out that Margaret had a miscarriage.
Mrs Jackson (who we met in Act 1 with her baby) comes back to the church and reveals to Margaret that the baby has died. She also reveals this is the 2nd of her children that have died.
David arrives home drunk Margaret slaps him
As the argument continues they both begin to shout louder and become more distressed.
After David leaves Margaret cries with Sister Odessa.
Brother Boxer threatens Margaret.
The final song is very loud with everyone joining in
During the end people will clap and may stand up, cheer or shout to tell the actors they did a good job