INTERVIEW: ‘Breathless’ leads Brits Off-Broadway offerings
Photo: Breathless stars Madeleine MacMahon at 59E59 Theaters. Photo courtesy of Chris Vaughan / Provided by Matt Ross PR with permission.
Theatre Royal Plymouth has arrived in Midtown Manhattan for an acclaimed run of their production of Breathless, a new solo piece written by Laura Horton, directed by Stephanie Kempson and starring Madeleine MacMahon. The show, which runs through May 7, comes to New York City thanks to the Brits Off-Broadway festival at 59E59 Theaters.
The new play is billed as a self-exploration for the character of Sophie (MacMahon), who in her late-30s is examining “long repressed sides of herself,” including a possible penchant for hoarding. The solo piece is equal parts humorous and honest, as press notes indicate, with a full dissection of the issue of addiction.
Kempson, according to her official biography, is an award-winning director, writer and dramaturg from Bristol, England, with degrees from Falmouth University and the University of York. She brought Breathless to Theatre Royal Plymouth and Pleasance EdFringe, and she serves as artistic director of the theater company she founded, Sharp Teeth Theatre. Her partnerships with other companies over the years are extensive: Scratchworks Theatre, Compass Presents, The Egg Theatre and Bristol Old Vic, among many others. She also served as assistant director on the acclaimed Bristol Old Vic production of Jane Eyre.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Kempson about Breathless. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
When you first read Breathless, what did you think?
Strangely I read it long before I was brought on to direct, when I was reading scripts for a local theatre’s open call. I read it in December 2021, and I remember loving the main character and very much identifying with her anxieties and her awkward queerness, as well as her love of clothes. There was something very honest, gentle and unsettling about the character Sophie in a therapeutic way.
What kind of research did you conduct into some of the underlying themes of the piece?
As Laura had written the piece about her life, we had Laura in the room a lot, and she told us lots about her experiences and others she’d met. The coverage of hoarding is often so extreme and shocking that actually it felt most important to connect in with Laura and her experience. Laura wanted to tell a younger story that didn’t paint hoarding as extreme oddball behaviour but as something highly relatable. Throughout the development process, Laura has extensively research hoarding and connected with others, and we had lots of brilliant conversations after shows about what this show has brought up for different people.
Do you believe Breathless can help audience members who may be dealing with similar issues?
I do. We didn’t want to shame our audience members with hoarding experience but connect with people. Whether they are hoarders, potential hoarders, friends/family of hoarders or don’t think they know any hoarders at all, we wanted to offer something up for them to ponder. Our experience has been that it has sparked conversations and furthered people’s understandings, which is what good theatre should be about: exploring contemporary human condition in a rich and nuanced way. Sophie’s is a very specific story that feels somewhat universal in the countries we have presented it in so far.
How has this journey been with playwright Laura Horton and performer Madeleine MacMahon?
A bold and joyous rollercoaster! During previews in Plymouth, we made lots of changes, then post-Edfringe we were able to add material back in that we felt the show needed, and Laura made the bold move to reorder the production. At each stage we have tweaked and polished until we have the show we brought to New York. Laura has been brave and vulnerable, and both Madi and Laura have been brilliant and generous. Madi is one of the most generous and detailed actors I’ve ever worked with. I would fully recommend working with them, except I would like to work with them forever, so please forget you read this last sentence.
How did the transfer come about to 59E59 in New York City?
I believe Laura was approached by 59E59‘s Artistic Director Val Day after the show was seen and enjoyed by the festival scouts, and winning a coveted Scotsman Fringe First at Edfringe definitely helped us get some interest. The festival is programmed by the brilliant David Byrne from New Diorama Theatre and Val. Then the powerhouse that is the Theatre Royal Plymouth produced the production to help get us here! I would also love to mention that the theatrical community we’ve met over here so far have been so welcoming, hard-working and wonderful (shout out especially to our brilliant stage manager Tyler Crow and the 59E59 team), that I’m sure we’d all happily come back.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Breathless, written by Laura Horton and directed by Stephanie Kempson, stars Madeleine MacMahon and runs through May 7 at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown Manhattan. The show, produced by Theatre Royal Plymouth, is part of 59E59’s Brits Off-Broadway festival. Click here for more information and tickets.
