Winner of the 2017 Bruntwood Prize Judges’ Award Tim Foley’s new play Electric Rosary is sharp, timely and gloriously funny. Bringing nuns and robots together on the Royal Exchange stage for the first time – this brand-new piece of comedy writing was inspired by Foley’s youthful trip to a monastery with his dad, where the monks rode quad-bikes.
Directed by Jaz Woodcock-Stewart it sees the world of prayers and hymns collide with that of glitching and binary. This acutely observed play places questions of faith, spirituality and humanity alongside technological advancement and a robotic future. Mary, the council-funded robot, is played by Breffni Holahan who is joined on stage by Suzette Llewellyn, Olwen May, Jo Mousley, Yandass Ndlovu and Saroja-Lily Ratnavel who complete the cast. Electric Rosary opens on 23 April and runs in the Theatre until 14 May.
Behind the crumbling walls the Sisters of St Grace Convent are dwindling in numbers, divine inspiration is at an all-time low and a council-funded robot-nun has just been invited to join their convent. Practical and surprisingly funny, for some a blessing, for others a curse – could she be the revelation they have all been praying for? Set in a time where nuns are scarce and robots are commonplace, this new play explores how artificial intelligence influences what we choose to believe in and what it is to be human in tomorrow’s world.
ELECTRIC ROSARY – Listings Information
A Royal Exchange Theatre production
ELECTRIC ROSARY
By Tim Foley
Directed by Jaz Woodcock-Stewart
23 April – 14 May
royalexchange.co.uk/whats-on-
