Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

MADRID MADRID Welcome Welcome tto o 1987 1987

DIRECTORS NOTES DIRECTORS NOTES

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, is adapted from the 1988 feature film Mujeres al borde deunataquedenerviosbytheSpanishauteurPedroAlmodóvar.Thefilm,his7thfull-lengthfeature, brought Almodóvar international attention earning the director his first Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language film. Almodóvar would later win Oscars for Best International Film (All About My Mother, 1999) and Best Original Screenplay (Talk to Her, 2002). He is known for collaborating with an ensemble of actors across his films including, Carmen Maura, Penélope Cruz, and Antonio Banderas. His films are regularly centred around groups of women, paying homage to the women Almodóvar was surrounded and influenced by as a child (reflected in the opening scenes of his 2019 Oscar nominated film Pain and Glory), indicating the important role that women play in his life – his mother often appeared in his films. Almodóvar emerged as an artist in the years following the Franco regime in a period known as the La movida madrileña (the Madrid Movement), in which the Spanish were able to explore new personal freedoms: socially, politically, and sexually. It was a period of artistic explosion and expression, and Almodóvar’s films are left of centre, subversive and queer. In this context the women of Women on the Verge are in dialogue with this expression of freedom in various ways. In fact, we could argue that while they might be on the verge of nervous breakdowns during the course of the show, they are also on the verge of experiencing liberation. Women, this also includes transexual women in many of his films, are so central to the Almodóvar aesthetic that they have become affectionately known as Las chicas de Almodóvar,ortheAlmodóvarGirls.

In 2010, the musical adaptation premiered on Broadway, with Music and Lyrics by Tony Award winnerDavidYazbekandaBookbyJeffereyLane,inanextremelylavishproductionthatattempted to recreate Almodóvar’s cinematic world, directed by Tony Award winning director Bartlett Sher. Opening to mostly negative reviews, the musical closed after three months of previews and performances, but the show earned three Tony Nominations, including one for Best Original Score, for Yazbek. The creative team later made significant revisions to the show to prepare it for its West End premier in 2015, in a production starring Tamsin Greig and, the late, Hadyn Gwynne. The new version of the libretto and score focused in on the relationships of the female characters, rather than wigs and set pieces, leading to some new songs, and songs featured in the Broadway production beingcutfromtheshow.

A significant example of this is the song, ‘The Microphone’, - a euphemism, yes - a number based on a shortsectionofthefilmwhereIvántriestoteachhissonCarloshowtobesuccessfulwithwomen.We reference this part of the film during the dance break of the opening number. The removal of this song,removessomeoftheweightthecharacterIvánpossessedintheBroadwayversion,allowingthe Women to hold more space. The production was also considerably scaled back and presented more intimately to place the focus on the characters and not the spectacle of the staging. While the creatives believe the London version to be the definitive version of the show – Yazbek has posted on Instagram after the event that they got the show right in London and it needs an American revival –theshowwasmetwithmixedreviewsandranforsevenmonths.

Both the film and the musical are about people who are desperately trying to connect to each other. IvánbreaksupwithPepaviaansweringmachinemessage–the1980sequivalentofbreakingupwith someonebytextmessage.PepaneedstospeaktoIván,LucíaneedstospeaktoIván,Candelaneedsto speak to Pepa, Iván leaves endless voice messages for Pepa. But the irony is, that when they all finally do find each other, no one is actually listening. This, to me, reflects a contemporary society where everyone is talking, having their opinions, and shouting into the ether, but no one is actually listening,nooneisgenuinelyconnectingwitheachother.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a problematic musical. It is peopled with incredible characters, and it features a wonderful score from Yazbek which allows the characters to express themselves in a way that they can’t in the film. But at its core, Women on the Verge is a farce, and a farce, by its sheer nature, moves rapidly. Musicals, by their sheer nature, feature songs, and songs, built on patterns of repetition, slow things down – it takes around three times as long to sing something as it does to say it, unless your Candela trying to leave a message for Pepa. Our challenge was to find a production style that is fluid, and would allow the characters to be swept away in the chaos of the plot, a chaos that would sometimes settle into recording studios, or apartments. A theatrical chaos where the stakes for the characters are high enough to earn the right to slow things down to process them (a rare privilege for characters who don’t allow themselves the time to think and then respond, but rather react without thinking), or the rhythm and pace of the plot, earns the audience a moment to rest and process. We also needed to find a physical staging and production style that sat somewhere between the Broadway and West End productions. I hope we have found that sweet spot. It has been an absolute joy to live in this Almodóvarian world over the last couple of months, and to explore and build this show with my fellow creative team and the ensemble of actors inourclassof2024.

MATT LOCKITT, DIRECTOR

MATT LOCKITT, DIRECTOR

MyCrazyHeart(Entr‘acte)

Mother‘sDay

Yesterday,TodayandTomorrow

LovesickTransition

Tangled Invisible

IslandReprise

LieToMe(Reprise)

Madrid(Reprise)

Finale

THE CREATIVE TEAM THE CREATIVE TEAM

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER MattLockitt

Matt Lockitt holds a PhD from Monash University, Australia. His research is published in the edited collection Gestures of Music Theatre, and the Journal Studies in Musical Theatre. For Monash University, Matt directed a number of student devised musicals. He has also directed productions of ‘Once on this Island’, ‘The King and I’, ‘Gypsy’ and ‘The Wiz’. ‘The Songs of Ahrens and Flaherty’ (Melbourne/Sydney) and ‘The songs of AlanMenken’(Melbourne).HealsoassistedattheMelbourneTheatreCompany.

Mattiscurrentlydevelopinganewmusicalcalled4-3withLeeWhitlockand CraigAdamsasdramaturg.

CHOREOGRAPHER

ChristopherMatthews

Christopher Matthews is an award winning American-born choreographer, performer and visual artist working from London. Matthews holds a BFA from New York UniversityTischSchooloftheArtsandanMAinChoreographyfromTrinityLaban.His video and performance works have been presented internationally, including at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Sadler’s Wells, Art Night 2018, Enclave Gallery, Arbyte Gallery, ]performance space[, Chisenhale Dance Space, MonArt Digital Art, CollectArt, LimaZulu, 4BID Gallery, Mount Florida Gallery, Castlefield Gallery, Prism Contemporary, Millennium, Reykjavik Dance Festival, Cent Quatre, MCLA Gallery 51, VillaEmpain,LoopVideoArtFestival,andwasjustnameda2024BlueChipFinalist.As a performer, Matthews currently works with Trajal Harrell and has wrapped filming ontheWickedfilm,dueoutin2024.

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

TeddyClements

TeddystudiedmusicattheUniversityofSouthamptonandisamusicaldirector,composer, arranger, vocal coach and audition pianist. He is currently the musical director for the musical theatre course at the University of Winchester and works regularly for Carnival Cruises(P&OandCunard).

Musical Director Credits Include: A Christmas Carol (MAST, Mayflower Studios), Godspell (Theatre Royal Winchester), Theory of Relativity (Minerva Theatre, CFT), Moby Dick ( Minerva Theatre, CFT), Sing Your Pain Away (MAST), Songs For A New World (Chichester University), The Bakers Wife (GSA), The Night The War Ended (BYMT), Irreplaceable (Stage Door), Billionaire Boy (NST and National Tour), The Shadow Factory (NST), Obella (NST,GSA),Noel’sWar(ChichesterFestivalTheatre),Carmen1808(UnionTheatre),Fortune Lane (Union Theatre), Things We’re Leaning Now (Battersea Barge), Tomorrow, Maybe (Union Theatre, Actor’s Centre, Bridge House Theatre, C Nova, Omnibus) ICONIC (Century Club, Stage Door), Kerry Ellis & Velma Celli (Stage Door), Blueprints (Theatre Royal Winchester).

Composer Credits as part of Amies & Clements – Sing Your Pain Away (MAST), The Night TheWarEnded(BYMT),OnHopeSongCycle(OtherPalace),Compass(MayflowerTheatre), Obella(NST,GSA),Tomorrow,Maybe(Union,Actor’sCentre,BridgeHouseTheatre,CNova, Omnibus),Blueprints(TheatreRoyalWinchester).Amies&Clementsarecurrently'Propel Associates'atMASTMayflowerStudios.

THE PRODUCTION TEAM THE PRODUCTION TEAM

COSTUME DESIGNER AND SUPERVISOR

BethRose

Beth is a freelance Costume Supervisor with a degree in Costume and Performance Design Bournemouth. Beth works at a variety of venues across the south ng back to Winchester having had her first professional credit at the .ShelovedworkingonGodspelllastyearandisexcitedtobebackfor yMusicalTheatreshow.

credits include: Cinderella (Theatre Royal, Winchester); HONK! Godspell(TheatreRoyalWinchester);Nora:ADoll’sHouse(Theatre he Suspicions of Mr Whicher (Watermill Theatre); Aladdin (Theatre Alice (MAST Mayflower Studios); The Lightning Thief (Mayflower (MAST Mayflower Studios); Aladdin (Theatre Royal Winchester); Nest, Shaftesbury Avenue); Four Dames in Search of a Panto (Theatre wan Lake Dreams (Mayflower Theatre); Dick Whittington (Theatre Beauty and the Beast (Ferneham Hall BeautyandtheBeast(TheatreRoyalW

LIGHTING DESIGNER WillEvans

For The University of Winchester: ‘Godspell’ and ‘Nora; A Doll’s Hous (2022) and ‘Working, A Musical’ (2019). Will has lit many shows for including 'Aliens Love Underpants', Monstersaurus', ‘Stuck’, ‘The Wa let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!’ and ‘The Legend of Perseus’ all for Big Tall Stories he has lit ‘Snow Dragon’, ‘My Brother the Robot’, ‘Twinkle GiraffegotitsNeck’,‘MonsterHits’,and‘DoesAMonsterLiveNextDoo

Other recent lighting design credits include: Cinderella’ and ‘Sleepi Theatre Halifax/Imagine), ‘Beryl’ (Oldham Coliseum), ‘Romeo & Presents, BBC Television), 'Wave Me Goodbye' (Theatr Clwyd, Mo Genedlaethol Cymru), 'Gabriel' (UK Tour, Theatre6), 'Bear and Butte 'Luna' (Theatre Hullabaloo, Darlington) ‘Why The Whales Came’ (Watford Palace/Wizard Presents),‘TwoGentlemenofVerona’,‘AsyouLikeIt’,‘RomeoandJuliet’,‘MerryWivesof Windsor’ and ‘Comedy of Errors’ (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester), ‘I Believe in Unicorns’ (Wizard Presents, West End and Tour), ‘The Canterbury Tales’ (Guildford Shakespeare Company), ‘Moomin Summer Madness’ and ‘How to hide a Lion’ (Polka Theatre) ‘Hard Feelings’ (Finborough Theatre), ‘Mudlarks’ and ’66 Books’ (Bush Theatre, London), ‘Cinderella’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Aladdin’ (Hertford Theatre), ‘Dream Space’(Shakespeare’sGlobe)

SOUND DESIGNER

ThomasEvans

e Sound Designer who enjoys traveling both nationwide and rk. He has previously worked at Theatre Royal Winchester on last oduction of “Godspell”, multiple pantomimes (“Peter Pan”, d the Beanstalk” & “Sleeping Beauty”) and with various touring rked at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival across various roles, most und with The Pleasance last year, helping to encourage technicians arly stages of their career. Thomas values providing students with essional production and often works with East 15 Acting School as a visitingsounddesigner/mentor.

Other Sound Design credits include: “A Monster Calls” (The Watermill Theatre); “Going Ape”, “John & Jen” (Union Theatre, Southwark); “Why the Whales Came” (Theatre Royal Plymouth); “Scouse: A Comedy of Terrors” (Grand Central Hall, Liverpool); “Emilia”, “Curs”, “Love & Information” (East 15 Acting School); “Filthy/Rich” (Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts); “Ball of Fire” (Tour), “The Brink”, “The Lima Syndrome” (The Unity Theatre,Liverpool).

As Sound No. 1: “Othello”, “Whistle Down the Wind”, “Our Man in Havana” (The Watermill Theatre); “The Little Prince”, “Border Tales” (Protein Dance, International Tour); “Frankly Sinatra” (UK Tour); “Marvellous Imaginary Menagerie” (Les Enfants Terribles, UK Tour); “Judy & Liza” (Liverpool’s Royal Court & UK Tour); “Into the Woods” (The Lost Theatre, Wandsworth).

PRODUCTION MANAGER

BradleyHalliwell

Bradley Halliwell is a production manager that has recently worked on “Two Strangers Kiln Theatre), “The Merry Widow” (Royal College of nchDrunk,TheBurntCity”tonameafew.

SET DESIGNER

TomGruenke-Callagha

TomistheprogrammeleaderforTheatreProductionattheUnivers graduatedfromUniversityofWinchesterwitha1stclassBA(Hons) &StageManagement)in2017.Afteraperiodoftouringandfreelanc RoyalWinchesterin2018.Hewasseniortechnicianthereuntiljoin Winchesterin2022.

IthasbeenapleasureworkingwiththeTheatreProductionandMu andhehopesyouallenjoytheirhardworkandcreativity.

Professionalcreditsinclude:

StageManager:MichaelMorpurgo’sKingArthur,APocketfulofGr Storyteller(StoryPocketTheatre,EdinburghFringeFestivalandU

LightingDesigner:4DamesinSearchofaPanto&Aladdin(Theatre House&AddamsFamily(DiscardedNutTheatreCompany)

SetDesigner:Godspell(UniversityofWinchester)

ProductionManager:Seussical&Nora:ADoll'sHouse(UniversityofWinchester)

STAGE MANAGER AND LIGHTING OPERATOR

Darcey Wood

Deputy Stage Manager, Godspell (The University of Winchester) Deputy Stage Manager, Pop Art (University of Winchester), Stage Manager, Midnight (The University of Winchester), Lighting Operator, History (The University of Winchester), Stagehand, Seussical(TheUniversityofWinchester)

DEPUTY STAGE MANAGER

ChisatoInoue

Godspell(TheUniversityofWinchester), PopArt(UniversityofWinchester),Midnight (TheUniversityofWinchester),History(TheUniversityofWinchester),Seussical(The UniversityofWinchester)

Iamreallyhappytoensurethateveryaudiencememberhaveaspecialtheatrical experience.Ithasbeenapleasuretobeinvolvedinthiswonderfulshowandtoworkwith somanytalentedpeople.

Ihopeeveryoneenjoythisshow:)

ACKNOWLED ACKNOWLED RAODS

HampshireWardrobe

MelanieLuff

CarolSmith

CathyGower

SarahGreer

UniversityPorters is

DannyDavis

THE TWO CASTS Carmen &Penelope

PENELOPECRUZ

Named after 2 of Pedro Almadovar’ s most influential girls

CARMENMAURA

(PicturedhereasPepaintheoriginalfilm: Mujeresalbordedeunataquedenervios)

Featuredin8Almadovarfilms,won3 Goyardawards(TheSpanishBAFTAs)for bestleadingactress, tookhomeanaward fromtheCannesfestivalin2006anda CesarAwardin2013.

CastperformingFriday7:30pmandSaturday2:00pm

(Picturedherein1999sTodosobremimadre)

Wonanacademyawardin2008forBest supportingactressandhasbeennominated forBestActressforherworkinVolverand Parallelmother.Shehasrecieved nominationsfromBAFTA,GoldenGlobe, Sagaawards,TelevisionACADand14Goya awardnominationsacrosshercareer.

Friday2:00pmandSaturday7:30pm

Cas Carmen Carmen

May turday 11th of May - 2.00pm

Friday 7:30pm Saturday 2:00pm

AmyWilliams

JoshuaGrant

Carlos, their son

Marisa, his fiance

Paulina, a lawyer

Candela, a beautiful, young model

Taxi

Driver

Our Narrator

DouglasBlake

XinyueZhao

EmilyHarverson

Jennifer Pratt

Pepi/ Chief inspector

EENSEM NSEM

Rosalia & others

Luci/

ucia & others

Hector/ Detective

CarolineDavis

LinnBailey

DannyJackson

Cristina/ Magistrate & others

BeckyAllen

Doctor/ Pepa’ s concierge

Nun/ Ivan’ s concierge /others

AmyElisabeth Weller

Malik/ Matador

News reader/

Telephone repairman

FreyaGolding

BethanNicholasPodger

REHEARSALPICTURES REHEARSALPICTURES

carmen cast

Carmen cast

REHEARSALPICTURES REHEARSALPICTURES

carmen cast

Penelope Penelope

Cas

May turday 11th of May - 7.30pm

Friday 2:00pm

BELONGS

JasmineClarkson

SamuelDavis

Candela, a beautiful, young model

son Marisa, his fiance Paulina, a lawyer

Narrator

BrageKindem

JemimahGreenwood

TeganMiaGailor

Sophie Travis

Pepi/

inspector

EENSEM NSEM

RayWoodhouse

Chloe-LouiseWebb EllieLooker

Cristina/ Magistrate & others

Doctor/ Pepa’ s concierge

Nun/ Ivan’ s concierge/ others

News reader/ Telephon repairma

BethanNichola Podger

Malik/ Matador

Mia-RoseBaber

AmberRoseVan Dam

EmmaBriggs

REHEARSALPICTURES REHEARSALPICTURES

Penelope cast

REHEARSALPICTURES REHEARSALPICTURES

Penelope cast

REHEARSALPICTURES REHEARSALPICTURES

Penelope cast

THE B THE B

Conductor/Keys1

Keys2-SamDand

Guitar-JamesGale

Bass-ChrisAttwell

Drums-JackWhitton

egPringle

SET CONSTRUCTION

TomGruenke-Callaghan

DavidBuss

SET PAINTING

PROPS

BobbieSmith

JenniferPratt

TeganMiaGailor

PROGRAMTEAM

Lead:LinnBailey

FreyaGolding

DannyJackson SOCIALMEDIA

JadeTaylor(Pepa) GeorgiaDonnelly(Lucía)

AislinnGoss(Candela)

CASTING ASSOCIATE

Goodbye Goodbye