ABOUT 500

PRESENTED BY SIMONA HUGHES

A woman's race against time.

Part of Vault Festival Transfer Season at Omnibus Theatre

Clem is 37 when she starts trying for a child with her partner Luke. Two unsuccessful years later, she begins to realise that she, like many other women, has been out-manoeuvred by a timetable that ignores women's finite fertility… The average age of first conception for women in the UK is now over 30 and continues to rise, despite the cliff-edge drop in fertility at age 35. As a result, more and more women in their 40s find themselves involuntarily childless, which in turn has a seriously overlooked impact on their mental health. About 500 is written and directed by Simona Hughes. The text was developed as part of her Masters at Royal Central, through in-depth interviews with over 20 women of all ages and through a series of actor-workshops, with the help of dramaturg, Melissa Dunne (Susannah Clapp's Best Theatre of 2017, Artistic Director Papercut Theatre and lecturer at Royal Central). The play combines an unfolding drama between 3 characters with an exploration of the subjective nature of time and a docu-theatre thread suggesting the real women's voices behind the play. Collaborators include award-winning movement director Mandy Gordon, sound designer Jack Baxer and designer Nic Farr. Actors are Stephanie Fuller (Scene Saver Birthday Honours Awards Finalist – Best Lead Performance), Joanna Nevin ("Joanna Nevin is flawless." Time Out) and Dickon Farmar ("Dickon Farmar is superb." London Theatre 1)