Gaze

GAZE is a new play about women and their stories, and the stories that we inherit and carry with us.

Spanning time periods from the 1890’s until now, we follow two women on their journeys to discovering their identities. Alice Guy Blaché, the first real-life female filmmaker, is desperate for artistic freedom as her film career is burgeoning in the late 19th century, but faces countless barriers and betrayal. Rose, a modern day film student, is grappling with her mental health in her battle to find a sense of purpose in her life.

Although worlds and centuries apart, together these women rebel against the difficulties that women have always come up against; through their love of film they fight to access the power, the autonomy and the creative freedom that we all deserve.

GAZE has been supported through two periods of research and development by Arts Council England in July 2018 and August 2019. This time has been spent working with Director of Development Karen Traynor to develop the script, engaging with a dramaturg, sound designer, and testing out ideas to live audiences. During the 2020 lockdown additional funding was secured to explore whether it could work for digital audiences.

The idea behind the play was conceived through a love of film and the desire to spread the word of unheard stories of remarkable women through the power of theatre. Steeped in film history, feminism and addressing mental health, the play is inspired by an ambition is to write about people that might otherwise be left out of the traditional history books.

GAZE is a funny, poignant and timely comment on what has changed for women across time, but – more importantly – what hasn’t.

We are delighted to share that GAZE received further Arts Council funding to stage the premiere at Northern Stage in November 2021. Book your tickets below.

As part of the project, S L Page commissioned a comic designed by Erin McGrath based on Alice’s life.