Writer by R.Johns
Co-directed by Jaime Dörner & R. Johns
July 2021 Sothebys auctions the love letters Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. “I’m not sure everybody finds a love like that in their lifetime. And if they do, however short-lived it is, it’s going to be quite a ride.” – Frieda Hughes, daughter.
However, there is another story, another viewpoint, another daughter. One written out of history and
invisible for many years. This forgotten child is at the centre of Birthday Book of Storms in this fictional
work.
‘Birthday Book of Storms’ sees a mysterious girl investigating others’ lives searching for answers in a
magic, surrealist temporality .Characters’ destinies and their extreme emotions assume Greek tragedy
proportions, orchestrated by two powerful women, Sylvia and Assia, where small actions can have
catastrophic consequences.
The play moves beyond the usual Anglo-centric telling of the Ted Hughes/ Sylvia Plath history, with the
addition of Assia Wevill and her child, both written out of his public life whilst Ted Hughes was alive.
La Mama Theatre – Melbourne, Australia. August 2022
Photos by Darren Gill
Jaime Dörner 