FATHER Hen theatre company are making a welcome return with their hit show, Molly Sweeney.

The poignant drama of a woman who has been blind for as long as she can remember and is given the opportunity to have her sight restored, was first performed at the Waiting Room, in St Botolph’s, Colchester, earlier in the year.

After that sell-out performance, it’s being staged at Colchester Arts Centre.

Once again, Vicki Weitz is the lead, with Paul T Davies and Martyn Hall playing Molly’s ebullient husband, Frank, and a famous international eye-surgeon who has lost his way in life, drinking too much and dreaming of a new beginning.

They will be joined by the Dead Rat Orchestra’s Daniel Merrill on violin.

Director Stella Payne says: “The show really did go down well, so it was a bit of a shame we only did one night.

“I wanted to do it again to see how it worked in other venues and so, as well as Colchester Arts Centre, we’re also doing it at Braintree College on September 19.”

Stella, a course leader in performing arts at the Colchester Institute, set up Father Hen with Vicki and Nat Miller as a research project funded by the Sheepen Road college.

Stella says: “The idea was to look at different ways of approaching theatre. Theatre often starts with a director saying what their concept of the play is. We wanted to create a piece of theatre out of the rehearsal process, starting from scratch and with everyone involved in the creative process.”

Molly Sweeney Colchester Arts Centre, Church Street, Colchester.
Thursday, Sept 18. Doors 7.30pm, show 8pm. £7.50, £4.50 concessions. 01206 500900