A Jersey playwright is set for a landmark summer as two of her productions premiere at leading UK cultural venues within weeks of each other.
Hannah Patterson, who was raised in Jersey from the age of two, will see her work staged at both Chichester Festival Theatre and London’s Southbank Centre.
Her adaptation of 45 Years opens at Chichester Festival Theatre on 12 June and runs until 11 July.
Based on the acclaimed film of the same name, the production explores how a long-buried revelation impacts a marriage, examining themes of memory, trust and identity.
Hannah described the story as “a superb and moving study of the passage of time and the brittleness and vulnerability of our shared realities”.
She added: “I was immediately drawn to its themes, and the characters that inhabited its world; people who are grappling with their lives in the wake of resurfaced history, and the impact that subsequently has on their relationship now.”
Hannah’s original work Ungone will then be presented at London’s Southbank Centre on 18 July as part of Rough Trade’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Adapted from her own novella, the play follows a woman who hires a stand-in to visit her mother in a care home – tackling themes including grief, guilt, caregiving and identity.
The production stars award-winning actor Maxine Peake alongside Ana da Silva, founding member of pioneering post-punk band The Raincoats.
Hannah said she was “so excited” to be working with award-winning actor Maxine Peake and post-punk band member Ana da Silva, who are starring in the production.
“I really think the two of them together will be electric,” added Hannah.
Jersey-born Nina Hervé, co-director of Rough Trade Books, praised Hannah’s work and the upcoming production.
She said: “It’s been such a pleasure working with Hannah on her debut novel, Ungone, and now turning it into a play for Rough Trade’s 50th anniversary celebrations at Southbank Centre has just added a whole new layer of excitement on top of the project.
“Working with actors in the rehearsal room and then seeing your plays unfold in front of audiences is, for me, the most satisfying part of the production process.”
Hannah is currently working on a new project with ArtHouse Jersey called The Noise – a one-person show about a woman with misophonia who becomes determined to find the source of a mysterious buzzing sound only she can hear.