Claire-Louise Cordwell and Helena Antoniou to star in Love Them To Death at Edinburgh Fringe
Claire-Louise Cordwell and Helena Antoniou are to star in Max Dickins’ Love Them To Death at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The pair will star in the world premiere at Underbelly Cowgate (Big Belly) from 4 – 28 August 2022.
Claire-Louise Cordwell (Casualty, BBC; Bodyguard, BBC; A Kind of People, Royal Court) plays Kelly and Helena Antoniou (Call The Midwife, BBC; The Snow Queen, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre) plays Gemma.
The production is directed by five times Fringe First award-winner Hannah Eidinow, with lighting design from Holly Ellis and Michael Woods as sound designer.
Inspired by real events, Love Them To Death explores Fabricated and Induced illness (previously known as ‘Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy’), a rare form of behaviour where care givers exaggerate, feign or induce illness in their children.
Exploring who is telling the truth, how we come to that decision, and whether the truth even exists, most of the time, Love Them To Death is a dark and twisty tale set in the borderlands between love and violence.
FII is much more common than previously thought although is often under-reported; one reason for this is that it is hard to prove and this is the impossible dilemma for the likes of doctors and school workers: the line between fact and fiction is blurred. And there are other lines, too: between ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ parenting; between love and abuse; between illness and health. But where do we draw them? And who gets to decide?
For more information and tickets, visit www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk
Director Hannah Eidinow said: “I’m really excited to work with Max on his compelling and vital play, and explore the strength and confusion of unconditional love, and the extreme behaviours it can drive us to. Both women are driven by the power of their convictions to protect their child in the way they know best.
“Why do we do what we do? Can we trust ourselves? How do we know what’s right? It’s a truly relevant topic, and I can’t wait to mine this drama about the fundamental questions of the human psyche.”
