Spine by Clara Brennan

Following the success of its sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Clara Brennan’s Spine – winner of a Fringe First and Herald Angel - comes to London. This touching, delicately multi-layered monologue stars Rosie Wyatt who won a Stage Award for Acting Excellence for her Edinburgh performance.

Spine is a hilarious, pan-generational and heart-breaking call to arms for our modern age. It charts the explosive, unexpected friendship between a ferocious, wise-cracking teenager and an elderly East End widow (skilfully brought to life by the same actress) which blossoms over stolen library books. Mischievous activist pensioner Mrs Glenda is hell-bent on leaving a political legacy and saving Amy from the Tory scrapheap because, as she says, ‘there’s nothing more terrifying than a teenager with something to say.’

Unexpectedly moving and bubbling with anger, this is a play with backbone which asks urgent questions (The Guardian). Spine is the life-affirming story of a young woman, forced to realise the importance of books and knowledge, as she finds her political voice in an age of apathy.

In this era of damaging coalition cuts and disillusionment, has politics forgotten the people it’s meant to represent? Can we really take the power back? Amy is about to be forced to find out.

Brennan, Wyatt and director Bethany Pitts have together produced a vital piece of theatre about the right to knowledge and the power of community in the face of access to both being annexed by the over-privileged few. It is also a heart-rendingly beautiful modern classic of hard times (The Herald).

Spine was originally created as a 15 minute short as part of Theatre Uncut 2012 (Fringe First Award Winner) – in which Wyatt also starred. The full-length version of Spine was also shortlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award and the Brighton Fringe Award.