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Wicked women, seductive sinners, vicious vixens – Thanks to Hollywood, the Femme Fatale is typically depicted as a curvaceous, red-lipped, glamorous blonde with a gun in her hand. ​Shadows of Angels exposes the real and gritty lives of women in crime. Four very different women, with cleverly interwoven stories, challenge our ideas of gender, sexuality, poverty and crime. Set within the city slums of Australia in 1929 the play explores the desperate lives and dangerous minds of the female criminal in this gripping piece of theatre.
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Female | Teen | 3 to 5 minutes
Starts on page 15
EXTRACT: Hurried, she scrambles out my door. Good riddance!? Good luck, I think. A favour I did her. Paid her way more than her pieces of tin were worth. But I am in a good mood now, despite my gross generosity, as I sift through her wares and pinch out the ring... As I hold it in my hand I think of... My girl. The thought softens me. Shoulders start to relax, roll in a little – head bows slightly.
Female | Unspecified | 3 to 5 minutes
Starts on page 21
EXTRACT: He moves to hold my arms up above my head, gripping at my wrists as if he was holding on for dear life. He grumbles in my ear, another putrid waft, “I’ll leave me mark on you dollyâ€. And then... his body shrivels in one tiny wince and it's over? And he’s up, and putting on his shoes! And yes, before his pants too! I am stunned. A little. At the literal minute that has passed. I sit on the bed and watch him dress. Obviously in a bit of a flap as he puts on his clothes in the most random of orders.
"Shadows of Angels is faultless. 5 Stars" - Emma Size
"Fleur Murphy's story-telling sparkles in this gritty piece about four 'femme fatales' … The brothel world of desperate women and disgusting men is painted with bold strokes, energy, and movement, across four monologues. Grimy smudges and humidity hang as the piece grows creepingly confrontational and raw. Murphy writes whirling, unfiltered emotion most powerfully." - Simon Eales
"...a dark, haunting play…crime is the only way they can survive in the harsh conditions, but there is a frailness and vulnerable quality in all of these women, which makes this play a must-see..."– 4 STARS
Written by: Fleur Murphy Directed by: Chris Saxton
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