An epic, post-modern production of The Trojan Women: Then and Now is in process. Stuck at the back, unlit, onstage, are the Chorus: Beaty, Coral and Alfa, three performers rendered almost immobile in their multi-layered, preposterous frocks. They spend most of the production waiting to say a few lines so that the management feel they have done their bit for "social inclusion". While they wait, they gossip and bitch, lie and heckle. Gradually devastating truths are uncovered which peel away their layers of pretence, along with the layers of their clothes. Kaite O'Reilly's darkly comic new play is about the choices women make and the things they hide.


First production
The first production of Peeling opened at The Door, Birmingham Rep Theatre, In February 2002, and toured nationally, culminating at the Soho Theatre, London, in April 2002.
Graeae Theatre Company
London

Director Jenny Sealey
Writer Kaite O'Reilly
Costumes Kevin Freeman
Light Ian Scott
Cast Lisa Hammond, Caroline Parker, Sophie Partridge


Second production
The second production opened at The Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, in August 2003, before embarking on a second national and small European tour. Venues include Clwyd Theatr, Cymru; Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff; Theatre Montansier, Versailles, France; Warwick Arts Centre; Drum Theatre, Plymouth; Unity Theatre, Liverpool; Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster; Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton;Tobacco Theatre, Bristol and Project Cube, Dublin.

Cast Sophie Partridge, Ali Briggs, Lizzie Smoczkiewicz



Published by
Faber and Faber Ltd (March, 2002)
ISBN 0571215947





Published also by Graeae Plays Redefining Disability, Aurora Metro Press
ISBN 0953675769




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