St James Studio presents Icons Season of new plays

The St James Studio Theatre, a fringe venue in Victoria, have announced a new 'Icons' season that is taking place between 03 and 25 January 2015 at the venue, mixing new plays with film screenings.

The plays presented will each feature an accompanying film that will be screened once during the run. The subjects of the plays will be Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, Richard Burton, Dylan Thomas, Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich.

Bette & Joan: The Final Curtain kicks off the festival, taking a look into the rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Written by James Greaves, and devised and performed by Sarah Thom and Sarah Toogood, the production is co-directed by Rebecca McCutcheon & Sarah Thom.

"Now on her own deathbed, Davis is forced by Hollywood hacks Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons to confront the ghost of her nemesis, Crawford herself. And of course, just because someone's dead doesn't mean they've changed?"

The production runs from 3 to the 9 January 2015.

Miss Dietrich Regrets will finish the festival, running from 20 to 25 January 2015. Written by Gail Louw it will be performed by Elizabeth Counsell and Moira Brooker and feature direction by Tony Milner and designs by Kenneth Mellor.

As one of the most famous movie stars of her time, Marlene Dietrich became an icon without apparently ever growing old. This new play looks at the aging Marlene, alone in a Paris apartment, battling with her daughter to retain her independence to the very end.

Other plays within the festival with shorter runs include:

'Burton' (10, 11, 14, 15 Jan) and 'Dylan Thomas: Clown in the Moon' (11, 13, 15 Jan), which are both written by Gwynne Edwards, directed by Gareth Armstrong and performed by Rhodri Miles, along with 'The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe' (16 - 18 Jan) written and directed by Elton Townend Jones and performed by Lizzie Wort.