Theatre / Global Majority
Naomi Denny brings award-nominated play about sibling grief to The Weston Studio
Actor and playwright Naomi Denny is fast making a name for herself as an exciting creative to watch on stage, page and screen alike.
She was a member of Soho Theatre Writers’ Lab in 2020, and the first recipient of Tamasha Theatre’s artist mentorship programme.
Her previous work includes Unseen Unheard (Theatre Peckham) and Essentially Black (Soho Theatre; Camden People’s Theatre) which is now being adapted for television. Currently, Denny is a member of the Inspire programme at Hampstead Theatre.
Following its world premiere and a successful London run that saw multiple award nominations for her play All the Happy Things, it is now embarking on a UK tour that begins in Bristol on March 10.
All The Happy Things – photo: Alex Brenner
It is directed by Aaliyah McKay, with dramaturgy from the original production director, Lucy Jane Atkinson. Alongside cast members Michaella Moore and Gavin Dunn, Denny herself features in the role of Sienna – a young woman who is grieving the death of her sister Emily, and seeing her everywhere she goes.
As Emily’s presence becomes more and more overwhelming – seeping into Sienna’s relationship, damaging her performance at work, and straining her commitment to her ailing parents – the line between happiness and delusion becomes blurred. How do you truly let go of someone when you imagined they’d be there forever?
Photo: Alex Brenner
As a writer, Denny’s stated aims are to elucidate the unknown stories of Global Majority individuals, as well as exploring thorny issues “from a place of joy and love”.
Her approach to writing this play is the perfect example of seeing pain through a positive lens. “All The Happy Things came from wanting to explore loss without telling a sad story”, she explains; “to focus instead on the joy, humour and deep bond that exists between siblings, and the unique relationship that comes from it.
Photo: Alex Brenner
“The relationship between Emily and Sienna is inspired by my relationship with my older sister and the shared experiences so many of us recognise: the bickering, the in-jokes, the memories that only you know, and the love that makes it impossible to let each other go.
“I’m really excited to share the play with Bristol audiences. I look forward to seeing how people relate to the story, explore the universality of experience that is having a sibling, and celebrate stories of family, resilience and sisterhood.”
View this post on Instagram
All the Happy Things is at The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic on March 10-14 at 8pm (6.30pm on Wednesday), with an additional matinee at 3pm on Saturday. Visit www.bristololdvic.org.uk for tickets.
Main photo: SH Productions (l-r: cast member Michaella Moore, writer/cast member Naomi Denny and cast member Gavin Dunn)
Read next:
- Bristol Old Vic marks 260th anniversary year with raft of newly announced shows and opportunities
- Review: Sh!t Theatre: Or What’s Left of Us, The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic – ‘Life-affirming and profound: shot through with a raw beauty and humanity’
- New Impermanence show examines death through dance
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
