ACCLAIMED writer and actress Alison Skilbeck is to perform her critically acclaimed solo show, Mrs Roosevelt Flies to London, at The Witham, in Barnard Castle, on Wednesday, September 27, at 7.30pm.
The show, which was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016, was written by the show’s star with special permission from the Roosevelt Estate.
This gave Ms Skilbeck access to Eleanor’s diary and writings, allowing her to capture the spirit, humour, and passion of one of the most extraordinary women of the 20th century.
Directed by Lucy Skilbeck, the show explores Eleanor’s public and hidden life, looking back from 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis while she is on her death bed.
She relives her visit to war torn Britain in 1942 and pivotal experiences from throughout her life, including the extra-marital affairs of her husband, President Roosevelt, and her own close relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok, to establishing herself as, in President Truman’s words, “the First Lady of the World” . Ms Skilbeck plays all of the characters that Eleanor meets on her travels.
Meticulously researched from Eleanor’s wartime diary, newspaper columns and vast correspondence, and inspired by many notable biographical works, Ms Skilbeck portrays a woman beset by deep personal insecurities and tragedy, but one who never lost her passionate belief in the strength of the human spirit.
Tickets for Mrs Roosevelt Flies to London cost £12 for under 16s and £14 for adults.
To book, call the box office on 01833 631107 or visit the witham.org.uk.
