In September 2011 I began work with Fluff Productions on their tour of new play 'Alice's Adventures in the New World' by Sarah Sigal. The all-female theatre company commissioned and workshopped the play in 2010 and premiered at the Old Red Lion in London; I joined them for the 2011 autumn revival tour. We performed at various venues in the South West to excellent response, including runs at the Bath Rondo, Cheltenham Everyman Studio and Exeter Bikeshed theatres.
Set in Victorian times and heavily influenced by music-hall traditions, this was a very musical show with plenty of multi-role playing, comedy and pathos along the way. I took the part of Mrs Fitzsimmons, Alice's long-lost mother, and enjoyed playing the beautifully crafted pivotal scene at the climax of the play where they finally meet one another. I spent the rest of the time as an on-stage musician, playing piano or ukelele as accompaniment to the songs, and providing atmosphere-building underscoring on piano, harmonium, clarinet and whatever else I could lay my hands on! It was an excellent opportunity to really enjoy being an actor-musician; to perform as a multi-instrumentalist and also have a gift of an acting role to look forward to as the play unfolded.
'Dear Alice - the truth is rarely pure and never simple...'
What do a hypochondriac debutante, a cattle rustler and Oscar Wilde have in common? Find out by following Alice down the rabbit hole of scandal, intrigue and sing-alongs as she travels from Victorian Ireland through London to America's Wild West in search of her long-lost mother. 'Alice's Adventures in the New World' is a music-hall adventure where things become curiouser and curiouser along the way...
"Anna is a pleasure to work with. She is an incredibly talented and sensitive musician and performer and was instrumental in helping develop and rehearse 'Alice's Adventures in the New World' as well as performing in the tour."
Sarah Sigal, Playwright