ABOUT LEO

ABOUT LEO
BY Alice Allemano
At Jermyn Street Theatre

Leonor Carrington is probably one of the best known artists in Mexico, but very little o her was known in England, the country of her birth. Alice Allemano discovered her at Tate Liverpool in a retrospective exhibition and was impressed by the huge amount of her work
Born and brought up in a respectable middle class family in Lancashire, She was disowned by her father when she eloped with a married man. He was Max Ernst the surrealist painter. Surrealism was not considered proper art at the time, almost pornographic, but Leonora was fascinated by it.
A young girl arrives at her house in Mexico wanting to find out more about her life with Max Ernst.. The girl is Eliza Prentice, a would be journalist fascinated by the life of this relatively unknown woman only known to art aficionados as the girl who was the muse for Max Ernst. Something she vehemently denies. Susan Tracey gives an impeccable performance as the older Leo. She is occasionally irascible, but always has the inner warmth and passion of her rebellious nature.
After the breakup with Ernst she had a nervous breakdown and was sent by her father to a lunatic asylum from where she escaped and found he r way to Mexico where she remained for the rest of her days.
The play is set in two time frames, the visit to Mexico of Eliza (played with a kind of excited innocence by Eleanor Wild) and the late nineteen thirties when Max and Leo were living together.
Here the two lovers played by Phoebe Pryce as the young Leo and Nigel Whitmey as the very attractive Max Ernst.
WE see the true love they had for each other, their squabbles and their love making. During this honeymoon period, we hear on the radio the announcement that Hitler had invaded Poland and it was the beginning of the second world War. She stayed with Max until he was arrested by the police. He was taken away from her and she suffered her nervous breakdown. Her arrival in Mexico brought her marriage and children but never interfered with her freedom and the way wanted to live. – in praise of freedom.
This play is part of the Regel season at the Jermyn Street Theatre
It is the author’s first play and it tells a fascinating story, but I felt it was a little long, ninety minutes without an interval. I too would have welcomed a little escape.
They are all excellent actors and are beautifully directed by Michael Oakley
It is a clever and very lovely set by Erika Paola Redriguez Egas. It has two stages, the main stage which is
This play is part of the Regel season at the Jermyn Street Theatre
It is the author’s first play and it tells a fascinating story, but I felt it was a little long, ninety minutes without an interval. I too would have welcomed a little escape.
They are all excellent actors and are beautifully directed by Michael Oakley.
It is a clever and very lovely set by Erika Paola Redriguez Egas. It has two stages, the main stage which is made of old wood and is Leo’s kitchen, and a raised platform, occasionally shrouded, but behind the curtain all is scarlet, even including the dress of the young Leo
It is a Bit long, but a fascinating story well told and well played