“You know what Ava means? Bird. That’s what you are. You’re a little bird.”
Winner of a Judges Award in the 2013 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, this is the World Premiere of BIRD a stunningly poetic new play by Welsh playwright Katherine Chandler. Directed by Sherman Theatre’s Artistic Director, Rachel O’Riordan, this is a story of unstoppable friendship.
Ava and Tash are up on a cliff. Looking out at the flocking birds. And at their future. On the cusp of adulthood and leaving the care home they’ve always known, the friends test their freedoms and practise living in the world. Ava confronts the mother she left behind. Tash looks for a home. And both girls live dangerously with the men who surround them.
Raw, delicate and bold. This is a story about growing up outside a family but inside the fiercest of friendships.
Click for interview with Georgia Henshaw and Rosie Sheehy.
Click for interview with Siwan Morris.
Click for interview with Guy Rhys and Connor Allen
Cast

★★★★ "A fragile teenage tale with a fiercely beating heart. Katherine Chandler’s award-winning play about two girls living in a care home takes flight under the superb direction of Rachel O’Riordan." The Guardian
★★★★ "Intense and powerful production of a play that refuses to look away" The Stage
★★★★ “Georgia Henshaw gives such a remarkable performance as the Bird, Ava; physically and verbally skittish, nervous, raw and fragile. The entire evening is dependent on her performance and the evening belongs to this powerhouse actress.” Wales Online
★★★★ “A well spent hour that’ll have you thinking hard and feeling deeply.” The Reviews Hub
★★★ “She's a beautifully drawn character, Ava; a knot of contradictions. Knowledgeable in some respects, ignorant in others; wide-eyed with wonder but guarded too. She flits from overt sexuality to gawkiness, and Georgia Henshaw, always twitching and rearranging herself, catches both her vigour and her vulnerability.” What's On Stage
★★★★★ “Very rarely do you leave the theatre in, slightly paralysing, awe. A play as impacting as ‘Bird’ is not to be missed!” Young Critics
★★★★★ “Katherine Chandler yet again strikes a burning match with her words and invites the audience into a world that many feel they cannot or will not understand” Young Critics
"The tale may be tragically familiar, but it is told with great warmth and freshness, and Henshaw’s performance should not be missed." The British Theatre Guide
Creative Team
By Katherine Chandler
Director Rachel O'Riordan
Designer Kenny Miller
Lighting Designer Kevin Treacy
Composer and Sound Designer Simon Slater
Assistant Director Elgan Rhys
Casting Director Sophie Parrott CDG
Cast
Ava - Georgia Henshaw
Claire - Siwan Morris
Dan - Connor Allen
Lee - Guy Rhys
Tash - Rosie Sheehy