The Life of the fashion model, photographer and surrealist muse, Lee Miller.
Written and Edited by Antony Penrose.
This
Award winning production was complied by Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and
Roland Penrose) from a mixture of original manuscripts and letters written by
Lee Miller and the key characters in her life. It is illustrated by a stream of
more than 400 images drawn from her career in photography and those around her.
The
performance takes the form of a dramatic reading for five voices. The words of Lee
Miller, Roland Penrose, Man Ray, David E. Scherman
and Antony Penrose combined with the images conjure up a vivid, very real and
unique insight into the life of Lee Miller.
The
play premiered in April 2003 at the J Paul Getty Centre (Los Angeles), where it was performed by a
local theatre company and the part of Lee Miller was played by her great niece,
Erika Ceporious. Since then it has also been performed at the Chance Theatre,
Orange County (USA). The UK premier was in the Chiddingly Festival with Antony Penrose playing himself and Ami Bouhassane (Lee Miller's granddaughter) playing Lee Miller and was directed by David Borrough. It has since been performed at The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester (UK), The Imperial
War Museum North (UK), Edward James
Foundation (UK), Lewes Live Literature Festival (UK), the Victoria and Albert Museum, Eastbourne Undergrond Theatre, Brighton Festival Fringe and the Eastbourne Festival