Illusions of Liberty had its premiere at the King’s Head Theatre, London as part of their Playmill festival in 2019.
Air is invisible. A vibe is invisible. Time is invisible. A giggle is invisible. And so are many illnesses.
Illusions of Liberty tells the story of Liberty Jones a Principal Cellist who for five years she has been plagued with an increasing number of bewildering symptoms. Liberty Jones has just been diagnosed with an invisible illness. Against the backdrop of a ‘hostile environment‘, this Black comedy follows Liberty over four days, where we see her struggle to accept her diagnosis, the relationship between mother and daughter, and what it means to have an illness no one can see. Backed by live music, this funny, poignant semi-autobiographical play challenges us to look below the surface and ‘see’ the invisible.
Lorna Wells, writer of the play said – “You can look really well, act perfectly ‘normally’ and be suffering from the most crippling symptoms and conditions. This can cause prejudice, misunderstanding, unfair judgment, and a lot of drama. People often say that they’re not pretending to be sick, they’re pretending to be well. I wanted to write something which could tell the stories of people with Invisible illnesses, but also highlight issues around the hostile environment, examine the mother-daughter relationship and racism.”
Meet the cast and creatives
Lorna Wells – Playwright
Despite chronic illness over the years and having to give up career after career, as a Singer-Songwriter, running a dance and vocal workshop for children, and running a music agency, Lorna discovered writing finding it, though challenging, therapeutic. Illusions of Liberty is a semi-autobiographical piece about living with an illness that no one sees. Four years in the making Lorna wanted to give voice to the voiceless. Lorna has previously written the book and lyrics of the musical, It Tastes Like Home, after beginning An MA in Writing for Musical Theatre at Goldsmiths University, London. It Tastes Like Home had three theatre runs in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Lorna is grateful to have received funding for Illusions of Liberty from the Arts Council England for this project.
Corinne Walker – ‘Liberty Jones’
Corinne Walker is a professional actress who trained at East 15 School of Drama. She has worked consistently as a performer and theatre practitioner. She is passionate about championing talent in the South West and has links with the Tobacco Factory, Bristol Old Vic, Beyond Face, Missing Pieces, and Travelling Light Theatre Company. Corinne is also a writer who has written and performed in her own one-woman show at the Bristol Old Vic. She is currently writing and directing her first short film as part of the BBC New Creatives Scheme. She is also currently the voice of ‘Miss Bunty’ in the Nickelodeon show ‘Max and Ruby’.
Illusions of Liberty will work with three charities in a joint fundraising venture with a percentage of the ticket sales divided between three charities whose members live with an invisible illness. f
Illusions of Liberty will be live-streamed over three consecutive nights from February 15th,16th, and 17th 2021. You can book tickets via the Applecart Arts website. For further details visit illusionsofliberty.co.uk