Thicker than water

A double bill consisting of two plays which explore the mother/daughter relationship: Master of Disguise by Sian Williams featuring Wendy Van Der Plank as the vivacious Leigh, whose desire to “dress to impress” for an interview has surprising results and Clearing My Mother’s House, an elegiac piece featuring Isobel Arnett as a prodigal daughter returning to her childhood home after the death of her mother.

“(I was) … riveted and felt totally involved. I was completely drawn into the lives of the two characters presented.”

“I … very much enjoyed watching good writing performed by actresses with proper technique. The two plays complemented each other … the issues and the humour will strike a chord with audiences.”

Lisa McGinnis

Writer

Lisa was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received the BBC Pebble Mill Promising New Writer Award and her entry for The Guardian newspaper’s Everyday Icon writing award was selected for inclusion in an exhibition of the same name. Lisa was also invited to join the BBC Writers’ Workshop for Promising Comedy Writers in March 2001.

Radio plays include Alice Takes to the Ice directed by Sue Wilson presented as a rehearsed reading in the Promising New Writers’ Series, Pebble Mill 1999. In 2002 the play was produced by Shoestring Radio Theatre, San Francisco, CA which also broadcast Lisa’s play I Saw You First.

Lisa’s plays were regularly included in The Festival of New Writing at the Salberg Studio of the Salisbury Playhouse. The Winters’ Tale, Clearing My Mother’s House (later produced by BKTC), and Migration were given fully staged rehearsed readings. Moses Dock was also given a rehearsed reading at the same venue.

Wendy Van der Plank

Actor

Wendy’s theatre credits include appearances at The Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, The Swansea Grand, Birmingham Rep., The West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Swan Theatre, Worcester, The Northcott Theatre, Exeter and The Mercury Theatre, Colchester. T.V. includes: Forever Green: 3 series for LWT, Wizardora: 6 series for ITV, Spin Off and guest appearances in Casualty and The Bill.

Isobel Arnett

Actor

Isobel trained at Rose Bruford and has appeared in productions for many theatre companies including: Daylight Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Harrogate Rep., Chester Gateway, Leeds Playhouse, Channel Theatre, Theatre Royal Windsor, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Tour de Force, Kent Rep., The Latchmere, Scriptunscript and Forest Forge. Seasonal appearances: Principal Girl at Worthing, Chesterfield and Harrogate. Christmas Shows at Warwick Arts Centre and Northcott Theatre, Exeter. West End: Mr Cinders, Fortune Theatre and Ducking Out, Duke of York’s. T.V.: Angels and The Dreaded Lurgi for the BBC, The Bill and Izzy for Thames Film: Kill Yourself

Noah Morgan

Noah grew up near Frome and worked for many years at the Merlin Theatre, Frome originally as a volunteer and then as a Technician. He was Technician for the second tour of The Mad Woman in the Attic and the tour of Thicker than Water.