Following an acclaimed Edinburgh Festival Fringe run that earned the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Theatre Award and ‘Pick of the Fringe’ status, TILLY NO-BODY: Catastrophes of Love will make its London debut at the Arcola Theatre this July.
Written and performed by Bella Merlin and directed by Miles Anderson, the internationally celebrated one-woman play will run from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 25 July, with performances Monday to Friday at 7pm and Saturdays at 3.30pm and 7pm.
Set within a deserted circus, the production combines drama, humour and song to tell the true story of actress Tilly Wedekind. Best known for originating the role of Lulu, created by playwright Frank Wedekind, Tilly rose to prominence both as his leading actress and later as his wife. Yet as her success grew, Frank’s jealousy increasingly overshadowed her career, ultimately leaving her silenced and emotionally devastated.
The play follows Tilly’s journey from heartbreak and attempted suicide to personal reinvention and artistic reclamation, exploring themes of toxic relationships, co-dependency and the suppression of women’s voices.
Drawing from Bella Merlin’s own experiences of surviving a coercive and violent relationship, the production blends extracts from Tilly Wedekind’s autobiography, correspondence between Tilly and Frank, excerpts from his plays, and original songs and text. Influences from Brecht, Stanislavsky and Wedekind himself are woven throughout the piece.
Merlin said: “It took me ten years to finish translating Tilly’s autobiography from the German. Doing so inspired a passion project, a journey into the depths of what it means to love another person with all one’s being. I felt an uncanny connection to Tilly. I think I fell in love.
“I yearned to turn ‘Tilly Who?’ into ‘Tilly Somebody’. When we share personal stories on stage, we empower audiences to share theirs. Live theatre then becomes a safe place in which anyone can be seen and heard, where anybody can become a Somebody.”
The production unfolds over three days as the poison Tilly consumes corrodes her body, prompting memories of her life to resurface in a dreamlike sequence spanning from her first meeting with Frank in 1905 through to his death in 1918 and her eventual transformation.
Since its premiere, TILLY NO-BODY: Catastrophes of Love has toured internationally across the USA, South Korea and Germany, and has also been showcased at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
Bella Merlin’s stage and screen credits include work with the National Theatre, Out of Joint, Shakespeare & Company in the USA, and BBC TV and Radio Drama. She is also Professor of Acting and Directing at the University of California, Riverside, and the author of several acclaimed books on acting and performance.
Director Miles Anderson is known for his extensive theatre, television and film career, including performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sam Mendes’ Oliver!, House of Cards, Soldier, Soldier, La La Land, Cry Freedom and The Tragedy of Macbeth.
The creative team also includes dramaturg Annika Speer, costume designer Maggie Morgan, scenic designer Kerry Jones, sound designer and composer David Roesner, and lighting designer and production manager Chris Corner.
