A “darkly funny and deeply honest autobiographical story about growing up in the shadow of chronic illness”, Bright Places which was commissioned by Birmingham Rep in 2020 is to go on a two-month UK tour.
In the “three-woman, one-woman” play, Rae Mainwaring, “frustrated by the negative depictions of people living with multiple sclerosis”, explores how when she was 23 she was diagnosed with MS and it “turned her world on its head”.
Mainwaring commented, “so much of my life living with MS is unseen. That’s a common experience so it’s exciting to finally make MS visible. People with MS rarely see themselves represented in an authentic way. This play delves into the complicated, knotty, often contradictory relationship with an illness that’s always moving the goal posts.”
Bright Places examines learning to live with this ever-changing, chronic illness. The play’s title refers both to the white patches of the MRI scan that show the scar tissue which caused Mainwaring’s symptoms and also the bright places in which she hides in order to cope—her fantasy escapes of disco, feather boas and pop hits.
The play is written by Mainwaring and directed by Tessa Walker. It is presented by Carbon Theatre in association with Birmingham Rep. It will open at the Rep from Thursday 24 October until Saturday 2 November.
It will then tour to Newcastle, Edinburgh, Exeter, Plymouth, Leicester, Dorchester, London, Taunton and Crediton until Friday 13 December.