Northants Uncovered caught up with Jamie Firth and Lucy Roslyn from BoonDog Theatre, creators of Lovett, and Olivia Foan, writer of Biosphere, to get a few exclusive insights into what audiences can expect.
GenFest launches on Sunday 16 November at Royal & Derngate, celebrating new writing in the performing arts.
Dedicated to supporting artists — particularly emerging and regionally based talent — the festival showcases brand-new work, works-in-progress, and first-time performances.
Among this year’s line-up are three strikingly different plays:
‘Lovett’ by BoonDog Theatre delves into the origins of Sweeney Todd’s infamous partner-in-crime, Mrs Lovett; ‘MotherHood’ by Claire Nelson, gives voice to a mother grappling with the aftermath of knife crime; and ‘Biosphere’ by Part of The Main, explores between the climate crisis and asks who do we follow to salvation?
‘Lovett’
Tuesday 18th November at 7.30pm at Royal Theatre
Jamie and Lucy from BoonDog Theatre; creators of Lovett
“LOVETT — The Untold Story Behind the Woman Who Put People into Pies
“Where was God when Mrs Lovett needed him?”
Most people know the grisly tale of Sweeney Todd — the murderous barber of Fleet Street — but far less is said about his partner in crime, Eleanor Lovett.
That’s where Boondog Theatre steps in, with a richly dark new play that reimagines her story. Lovett takes us back to the beginning — before the infamous pies, before the partnership — to meet a woman driven by hunger, hope, and hard choices in a world that leaves little room for mercy.
An original story, Lovett explores what led Eleanor to become the notorious pie-maker. You may think you already know her, but this new play reveals what made her: the brutal choices and disappointments of a life in poverty. When survival is at stake, morality becomes a moveable feast — and Eleanor is getting hungry…
Jamie said:
“We watched Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett was the best character in it — and yet you find out nothing about her. We thought somebody should write the backstory. She was the one who came up with the idea of putting people into pies.
Set at a time when inequality was rife in London and women had it hardest, we almost see this as a revenge story for her. Sweeney Todd gets all the plaudits later on, but now it’s her chance to tell her story.”
Known for creating darkly comic, emotionally resonant, and often “covertly political” theatre, Boondog Theatre’s work aims to spark conversations that linger long after the curtain falls. The company’s meticulous research into historical and psychological themes has earned them acclaim — and as Associate Artists of Royal & Derngate, Northampton, their reputation continues to grow.
This play has attracted **** and ***** reviews, with The Stage calling it “a meaty, tasty morsel.”
BIOSPHERE by Part of the Main written by Olivia Foan
Friday November 21st at 7pm: Derngate Underground
There’s always been something about theatre for me where everyone is in the same room. They might feel differently about the play, but everyone comes to the theatre wanting to be transported to another world and to share a communal experience. Olivia Foan.
Writer Olivia Foan discusses Biosphere
Olivia Foan’s BIOSPHERE is a new play about our relationship with nature, technology, and the planet we call home.
Inspired by the infamous 1991 ‘Biosphere 2’ experiment, in which eight crew members were sealed inside a vast Arizona biodome, Foan’s play reimagines what such an experiment might look like today. The original mission — a prototype for living on other planets — descended into disaster when the crew’s survival was threatened by ecosystem collapse and strained relationships.
BIOSPHERE explores our fraught connection to nature and technology in the age of climate change, asking vital questions about who holds the power to decide the future of our planet.
Produced by Part of the Main — a London-based theatre company creating work that is political, provocative, and accessible — BIOSPHERE is directed by Artistic Director Olivia Munk and funded by Arts Council England. This performance will also be made accessible to blind and visually impaired audiences through audio description.
Motherhood by Claire Nelson
Wednesday 19th November at 6pm
A woman opens the door at two in the morning and tries to hang on to normal. Lisa doesn’t have the right words or know what questions to ask in this new world of crime and law. So, what happens when doing the right thing isn’t the right thing anymore?
This solo show explores knife crime from a fresh perspective, as a mother is forced to confront the unfamiliar world her son has collided with — and to compromise on what she believes in.
“Lot of legal stuff being said that I don’t even get, and they ask if I’m an appropriate adult. Well yeah… I’m his mum?”
Despite the chaos, Lisa maintains a down-to-earth sense of humour, and the play finds laughter in the most unexpected moments — even as it shows the toll on a mother trying to hold it all together.
Based on real events and lived experience, Motherhood features an original soundscape by In-Spire Sounds and incorporates the voices of young people from the ‘Inspiring Change Through Music’ project.
Motherhood is the state of being a mother — but what if you’re a mother in a state?
For the full line of up shows visit: https://royalandderngate.co.uk/get-involved/generate/genfest/