At the fork in the road, ANA takes both paths

A unique Scotland / Québec bilingual co-production that straddles the line between creativity and madness.

“With a strong ensemble cast and remarkable mise-en-scène, ANA offers an imaginative and complex vision of womanhood.” Montreal Arts Uncovered

Following a highly acclaimed world premiere in Québec, ANA, directed by internationally renowned Serge Denoncourt travels to Scotland for its European premiere at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, on Friday 2 March followed by a tour of major Scottish theatres.

ANA is the result of a creative collaboration between Scots playwright Claire Duffy (Scotland) and Pierre Yves Lemieux from Québec. Combining the rhythms of Scots-English with Canadian-French, ANA dissolves barriers between languages and is a vibrant, courageous and innovative piece of theatre.

ANA the power to take all paths and her story leads us through the darkest places on Earth.

“Once upon a time there was a play.

Once upon a time there were two playwrights, two countries, two cultures.

Once upon a time there was a woman, a myth, a lie. To paraphrase Pirandello, a woman who would be ‘one, one hundred thousand, and no one.’

There was history with a capital H and there was a little story, about women and their malaise, on the edge of the abyss.

Once upon a time there was theatre filled with magic: possible and impossible, surreal and disturbing.”  Serge Denoncourt (Director)

ANA was inspired by the Sumerian myth of the goddess Inanna’s descent into the Underworld she embodies the evolution of womankind in her odyssey through the ages.  ANA is a journey through life, beginning with an abandoned child, left on a rock 5000 years ago in Skye. As she travels through time we watch kill, give life, sacrifice, pray, rebel, inspire and create.

ANA begins at roadside fair whose MC doubles for all the male characters in the show. Prominent on stage is a collection of reflective towers, emblematic of ANA’s multiple identities and her capacity to split and split again. Her story travels from the Isle of Skye to eighteenth century France, to turn-of-the-century Vienna, to Québec in the 1960s, Vancouver in the 70s, and finally to the Montreal Metro in the near future. Her journey can be followed on a Google map on the ‘ANA’s story’ section of the show’s website www.stellarquines.com/ana

ANA is an extravaganza, a dark, vivid, vision of an archetypal woman in the throes of myth and history. The talented cast features Selina Boyack, Lisa Gardner and Frances Thorburn from Scotland and Québec actors Catherine Bégin, Alain Goulem, Dominique Leduc and Magalie Lépine-Blondeau.

ANA’s lighting design is by Martin Labreque, stunning video design by Gabriel Coutu-Dumont from Québec and from Scotland the composer/sound design has been created by Philip Pinsky and the costume design by Megan Baker.

ANA is generously supported by Creative Scotland, the British Council, Canada Council for the Arts, conseil des arts et des letters du Québec, Conseil des arts de Montreal, Ministere de la Culture, des Communication, et de la Condition Feminine, Ministere des relations internationals du Québec.

Listings information

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thursday 1 – Saturday 10 March 7.30pm (no performance Mon or Sun); Thu 1 £11/£6, Tue – Thu £15/£11/£6, Fri & Sat £17/£13

Box Office: 0131 228 1404 www.traverse.co.uk; Sign language interpreted performance Thu 8 7.30pm; Audio described performance Thu 8 7.30pm & touch tour at 6.45pm

Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, Wednesday 14 March 7.30pm;  £11.25 (£9.25) Under 18s £6

Box Office: 0131 665 2240 www.brunton.co.uk

Gardyne Theatre, Dundee College, Friday 16 March 7.30pm, Saturday 17 March 2.30pm & 7.30pm;  £16/£12 Fri & Sat night, £14 & £10 Saturday matinee

Box Office: 01382 434940 www.gardynetheatre.org.uk

Eden Court, Inverness, Monday 19 & Tuesday 20 March 7.30pm, £12/£10

Box Office: 01463 234 234 www.eden-court.co.uk

Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 March 7.45pm, Saturday 24 Matinee 2.30pm, Thu £12/£7, Fri & Sat £15/£12

Box Office: 0141 552 4267 www.tron.co.uk

Source: Stellar Quines & Imago Theatre