A very special event will be taking place at The Edge Theatre & Arts Centre in Chorlton, Manchester on Sunday 29 March 2pm-5pm.

Julie Hesmondhalgh, patron of The Edge, and her niece Rosa Hesmondhalgh will be in-conversation with BBC 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins, talking to him about their acting careers, working together, and the special bond they have with one another.

Julie ~ who is a very familiar face on TV and in theatre ~ has been supporting her niece, Rosa with both her work and her recent cancer treatment. In 2018, at the age of just 23, Rosa was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer. Before she went into hospital for treatment, Julie gave Rosa a journal with a note inside simply saying “write the f*** out of it”, which Rosa did, and the result was Madame Ovary ~ her one-woman autobiographical theatre production.

Rosa had just graduated from LAMDA (The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) when she was diagnosed and ~ after several months of treatment and being given the ‘all clear’ in June 2018 ~ she turned her comedic blog into her debut play. Madame Ovary was showcased at The Edinburgh Fringe and has been receiving fantastic reviews.

Rosa has also performed with Manchester’s Take Back Theatre Company, which Julie co-founded with writer Becx Harrison and artist Grant Archer. Take Back is dedicated to making script-in-hand rapid responses to social and political events.

As many people know, Julie first found fame through her much loved Coronation Street character Hayley Cropper, which she played from 1998-2014. Since then, Julie had many TV roles including Inside No 9, Broadchurch, Happy Valley, Cucumber, Dr Who and Catastophe. Julie has also performed in various theatre productions in recent years including Wit and Mother Courage at the Royal Exchange Theatre. Last year Methuen Drama published Julie’s Working Diary as part of their Theatre Makers series.

Julie said: “I’m very excited about having a good old chat with my niece (and hero!) Rosa, in a crowd of friendly faces in one of my favourite places in Manchester: The Edge.”

An Audience with Julie and Rosa Hesmondhalgh at The Edge Theatre & Arts Centre will be a rare treat to hear the two actors in conversation. The event will be hosted by Chris Hawkins and there will also be a Q&A afterwards, where the audience will have the opportunity to ask Julie and Rosa questions.

Tickets are very limited (less than 100 available) and will be £12 each from The Edge Box Office or online here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/edgetheatre/t-gmggdj
Doors 2pm. Julie and Rosa will be on stage with Chris at 3pm.

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