There is a Light and a Whistle for Attracting Attention

<p>Using the breakdown of a marriage to explore preconceived ideas of romance and societal pressures to find a partner, one woman reflects on her former relationship. From the heady days of their first dates and early wedded bliss to when red flags become more frequent and power dynamics take over, she contrasts the fairy tale love stories from her youth with the slow-dawning reality of a coercive relationship, wrestling with self-blame and an inability to leave. There is a Light and a Whistle for Attracting Attention explores the pressures that shape intimacy, particularly for women, balancing humour and heartbreak as the narrator moves from self-doubt to hard-won clarity.

The production is supporting Women for Women International, a charity that helps women survivors of war and conflict rebuild their lives.Writer and performer Henri Merriam said, “I have always loved stories, that's why I became an actor. When I wrote this play, I was trying to make sense of a time in my life when I couldn't control the narrative of what was happening around me. And I realised the stories I'd always loved about women, and the way we move through the world, hadn't served us.

They'd shaped an idea of what a marriage should be, and what I should be inside one, so I was constantly at odds with who I actually was.’’Play Nicely Theatre was founded in 2019 by writer-performer Henri Merriam. Based in Cornwall, the company makes intimate, text-led new work, with a particular interest in character-driven storytelling and the relationship between performer and audience.</p>