British Theatre Star Features At Taranaki Festival

Linda Marlowe’s Berkoff’s Women runs from 27-30 July at the Alexandra Room, TSB Showplace, New Plymouth, and her autobiographical show No Fear is at the Theatre Royal, TSB Showplace, New Plymouth on 31 July and 1 August.

Festival director Roger King says these two pieces of theatre showcase the “enormous talent of Linda Marlowe. We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing an actor of this calibre to the Taranaki Festival of the Arts.”

Linda Marlowe is best known in Britain for her long-standing collaboration with leading British playwright and director Steven Berkoff and appeared in most of Berkoff’s West End theatre productions. She has also featured in many British television series including The Avengers, The Saint, Midsomer Murders, Lovejoy, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries and Spooks.

“It seems as if I’ve been in almost every television series that’s been made,” she laughs.

Linda has also appeared on Coronation Street and turned down the opportunity for her character to be developed further into a more major role. “I didn’t want to be a soap star,” she says, adding that she enjoys the freedom of performing her solo shows all over the world.

Linda created Berkoff’s Women at the suggestion of Steven Berkoff. It was first staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1999 and since then has been performed internationally including Europe, South America and Hong Kong.

Described as a theatrical exploration of sensuality, revenge, pathos, heartbreaking loneliness and riotous humour, Berkoff’s Women is a compilation of some of the most exciting female roles created by Steven Berkoff. It includes excerpts from Decadence, Greek, East and Agamemnon.

But Linda says audiences don’t need to be familiar with Berkoff’s work to enjoy the performance.

“It shows different facets of women and gives a real insight into women – some of them are absolute monsters!”

Linda’s play No Fear is a series of sketches and experiences from Linda’s life, and she says “they’re all true!

No Fear came about when a group of friends convinced Linda to create a play based on her own life experiences.

“I sat down with the four writers and told all my stories and from that we created a piece of theatre. I’ve been so surprised that people have related to it as much as they have.”

The play is set in a circus arena as the world’s oldest tightrope walker celebrates her 100th birthday. Linda soon strips away the clowning costume and launches into stories of her life spanning five decades from her childhood dreams of joining a circus and being a dancer, to meeting Marilyn Monroe, and later her experiences as a mother, partner and performer.

“I wanted to show the fearful and adventurous things in life – and it’s got plenty of funny moment too that people will relate to.”

Marlowe is a consummate actress; gorgeous to look at, slinky and impassioned, breathtakingly versatile. She can curse with alluring and compelling charm! A veritable tour-de-force.” – The Scotsman, Edinburgh

The Taranaki Festival of the Arts follows the sell-out success of WOMAD New Zealand 2005. Both events are organised by the Taranaki Arts Festivals Trust.

Tickets for the Taranaki Festival of the Arts are available through Ticketek and the full programme is available online at www.artsfest.co.nz.

The Taranaki Festival of the Arts 2005 is funded and supported by the

following organisations;

CORE FUNDERS: New Plymouth District Council, Taranaki Electricity Trust

MAJOR FUNDING PARTNERS: TSB Community Trust, Creative NZ, Te Waka Toi

GOLD SPONSORS: Hooker Pacific, Staples Rodway, The Zieltjes Family in

association with the Practical Education Institute

GOLD MEDIA: Classic Hits Taranaki, Taranaki Daily News, More FM Taranaki

SILVER SPONSORS: Reeves Middleton Young, Clelands Construction Ltd, Price

Waterhouse Coopers, Transfield Worley Services, Plymouth International Hotel

BRONZE SPONSORS: Billings, Fuji Xerox, Swift Energy NZ Ltd, The Most FM,

Newstalk ZB, Westgate Transport Ltd, TSB Bank

FESTIVAL GRANTS: South Taranaki District Council, New Zealand Community

Trust, Venture Taranaki, Lion Foundation

ENDS

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