John Ford's The Broken Heart

Originally written in 1633, The Broken Heart is a Caroline era tragedy by John Ford, often cited (along with 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore) as one of Ford's greatest works. In March, a brand new version of the play premières in the Hume Studio at The Rag Factory, Shoreditch (presented by UCLU Drama Society in association with UCLU Stage Crew). The Broken Heart has been skilfully adapted by director Sophia Chetin-Leuner, transporting the play's action from Greek antiquity into a modern day hospital.

Using light installations, original music and contemporary dance, The Broken Heart tells a tale of love, class and family: three couples struggle to maintain their relationships as their friends and family try to pull them apart. The play revolves around Penny, torn between her abusive brother Ethan and her lover Owen. The trio's destructive relationships gradually entangle their friends in a web of deceit and manipulation, leaving young couple Elena and Patrick as the only remaining beacon of hope. The Broken Heart hopes to create a dramatic and sensory experience that will show what it truly means to suffer. Expect incest, starvation, lies, and plenty of broken hearts.

The cast and crew are as follows:

Director – Sophia Chetin-Leuner
Producer – Jeremy Wong
Choreographers - Hannah Gillett and Josie Charles
Assistant Director - Rachel Jones
Assistant Producers - Samantha Cheh, Imogen Malpas and Kitty Mayo

Owen - Eddie-Joe Robinson
Penny - Wiebke Green
Callie – Mette Isaksen
Ethan - Daniel Rodgers
Nicholas - Adam Woolley
Andrew – Seán Lynch
Elena - Annie Hawkins
Patrick - Charlie Carman
Dr. Tecnicus - Frances Keyton
The Dancers - Elspeth Louise Hunt, Shaf Sameera Shajahan, Vincenzo Monachello and Maria Cross