YERMA’S EGGS 2003 conceived, devised, written and directed by Anna Furse.

This piece focused on reproductive technology. As the sequel to the Peach Child for The Little Angel Theatre 2001 it was a multi-media performance for adults that investigated the possible intersection of the poetry of theatre and medical narrative. Working with a multi-ethnic/mixed gender/sexuality cast of 6, this work explored the emotional landscape of infertility, trying to bring the audience close up the raw subject matter as well as medical and scientific fact. The strategy of de-constructing Gabriel Garcia Lorca’s play Yerma about a childless peasant girl in 1920’s Spain was a means to work with universal themes poetically.

Refusing a single narrative thread, every woman and man on stage becomes Yerma at some point as indeed Yerma’s predicament and prognosis shifts through various scenarios. Film was used, including vox pop interviews I made with the public regarding their awareness of biological and bio-ethical issues. This film, which also includes the dramatic close up of a single sperm being injected into the cytoplasm of the egg cell, was projected in various ways so as to resist being a purely didactic element. I also obtained rights to project state-of-the-art 4-D ultrasound imaging of the embryo and foetus as well as some very contemporary microscopic imagery of the sperm and egg from the Wellcome Trust. Multimedia scenography was by Ajaykumar, design by Agnes Treplin, music by Sylvia Hallett and the performers included Shobu Kapoor, Joy Elias Rilwan, Anthony Newell, Giovanna Rogante, Helen Spackman, Carlos Vesga The production in July 2001 was the culmination of the 3 week Research and Development period, funded by the Wellcome Trust. They subsequently funded me with an Impact Award to develop the full-scale production of Yerma’s Eggs which was co-produced by Riverside Studios and the major UK science venue Explore-at-Bristol in May/June 2003 (http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/pulse/other.html).

An Education Pack is published on the Athletes of the Heart website (www.athletesoftheheart.org) and an Educational Workshop tour organised by Riverside Studios was conducted in West London Schools in association with the production.

See also: The Art of A.R.T. in the online journal: Vol 6 (2203) AnyBody 's Concerns.