A portrait of Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a 1920s 'Bright Young Thing" appears in a new book and exhibition celebrating theatre.
The picture, taken by acclaimed photographer Simon Annand, shows the Fleabag star when she performed in the thriller Rope onstage at the Almeida Theatre in London in 2009.
To celebrate the publication of Simon Annand’s book TIME TO ACT a virtual exhibition will be launched on 5th October (TimeToActPhotos.com) showcasing selected images from the book; some of which will be available for sale. The virtual exhibition will be re-hung on a weekly basis until early November.
The publishers are making a donation from the sale of every book in the UK to The Theatre Artists Fund.
“We are delighted that £1 from every sale of Simon Annand’s new book TIME TO ACT will be donated to The Theatre Artists Fund. We must continue to support the freelance workforce who contribute so much to the theatre industry in this time of crisis” Julian Bird, CEO SOLT
SIMON ANNAND has been shooting photographs backstage at West End theatres in London for 35 years. In these meditative portraits, often shot in the intimate space of the dressing room, he witnesses the focus and tension of world-class actors right before they go on the stage
Simon’s first collection THE HALF was published in 2008 alongside an exhibition at the National Theatre which has subsequently been seen in various other theatres across the UK including Huddersfield’s Lawrence Batley Theatre in 2019.
With an introduction by Cate Blanchett, TIME TO ACT continues to explore the moments of vulnerability which every actor experiences before they go onto stage no matter how long they have been working. Amongst the over 230 images are also insightful portraits of Gillian Anderson, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Sharon D Clark, Paapa Essiedu, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lenny Henry, Anthony Hopkins, Andrew Scott, Josette Simon and Judi Dench.
· TIME TO ACT is available here from 30th September RP £39.95
· TIME TO ACT the virtual exhibition is hosted on TimeToActPhotos.com
Picture: Simon Annand
