Jarman, The story of Derek Jarman
Written and performed by Mark Farrelly, directed by Sarah Louise Young
"A mighty spirit is about to reawaken. Yours"
Derek Jarman: film-maker, painter, gardener at Prospect Cottage, activist, writer... his influence remains as strong as it was on the day AIDS killed him in 1994. But his story, one of the most extraordinary lives ever lived, has never been told. Until now.
This vibrant solo play by Mark Farrelly (Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope / Howerd's End) brings Derek back into being for a passionate, daring reminder of the courage it takes to truly live while you're alive. A journey from Dungeness to deepest, brightest Soho and into the heart of one of our most iconoclastic artists.
Jarman’s works include taboo-breaking films like Sebastiane, Jubilee and Caravaggio, pop videos for the Pet Shop Boys (It’s A Sin and Rent), his extraordinary borderless garden in Dungeness, his shocking last paintings, and his unforgettable final film Blue, consisting of a single continuous frame of blue and chronicling what it’s like to lose your sight…but never your artistic vision.
Running time: 80 minutes, no interval.
Bring a deckchair or cushion to sit on, this performance is outside in our Prospect Cottage inspired garden
Performance starts at 6.30
Doors 6pm / bar open 6pm - 10pm
Mark Farrelly is an actor and writer. He was born in Sheffield, and read English at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating with a double first-class degree. He has acted in the West End and internationally, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Trafalgar Studios. He is the author of three hit solo plays: The Silence of Snow: The Life of Patrick Hamilton, Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope and Jarman. He has performed these to great acclaim across the UK and overseas more than five hundred times.
He is also the writer of Howerd's End, a two-handed play exploring the life of Frankie Howerd, in which he plays the role of Dennis Heymer, Frankie's life partner. Frankie Howerd is played by Simon Cartwright. The play has been performed over one hundred times, most recently at Leicester Square Theatre, London.
Nominated for Best Solo Performance In A Play, Off-West End Awards 2022.
Reviews:
★★★★★ Queer Guru
"beautiful, fun and relentlessly inspiring. Jarman is a fearless portrait of a key figure in LGBTQ+ history, and one of this country’s greatest artists'
★★★★★ Bum on a Seat
“Jarman admonishes us to ‘be astonishing’. And that’s exactly what Mark Farrelly is. Fabulous, thought-provoking stuff”
★★★★★ "a performance of such controlled brilliance" AJH Loves Theatre
★★★★★ London Theatre 1
'a mini-masterpiece”
★★★★ The Stage
'a gripping solo show”
★★★★ North West End
"Incredibly accomplished”
★★★★ West End Best Friend
“astonishingly charismatic”
★★★★ Theatre-News.com:
"A mesmerising performance that moves, amuses and shocks in equal measure. A stunning piece of theatre and stage craft that will enthral all that see it”