(all about us)

 

All About You was formed following years of fruitful work between writer/performer Bella Heesom, and director/dramaturg Donnacadh O’Briain on a number of diverse new writing projects.

Their first play was Bella's debut as a writer: my world has exploded a little bit, a tragi-comic account of Bella's battle with grief following the deaths of her parents.

The second show, rejoicing at her wondrous vulva the young woman applauded herself, is a celebration of female sexuality, and an exploration of the impact of the internalised male gaze on a woman's relationship with her own desire.

The third show, arms flung wide, is a theatrical experiment in vulnerability and is currently in development.

Bella Heesom

 

Bella trained as an actor at LAMDA, after studying philosophy at the University of Cambridge. She founded All About You with Donnacadh O’Briain.

Her debut play as a writer, My World Has Exploded A Little Bit, toured nationally following critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe and VAULT Festivals. Her second play, Rejoicing At Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself, was optioned for TV.

Bella was one of 11 writers selected for the BBC TV Drama Writers Programme 2020. She has TV projects in development with Bad Wolf, Firebird Pictures, The Ink Factory, The Forge, Two Rivers Media and Mam Tor Productions. She will be writing an episode of Sex Education Season 4 for Netflix. And she’s dabbled in audio drama, after being invited to write an episode of the fiction podcast, The People Outside, in which she also performed.

Bella was invited by Newnham College, Cambridge, to give a Tedx talk: Why it’s Rational to be Emotional. She also hosts an intermittent podcast: Rejoicing With Bella, and occasionally runs workshops on creating autobiographical theatre.

“The glittering poetry in her script, so vivid and visceral that sometimes the stagecraft feels redundant in comparison to the glory and guts of the words.”
— The Guardian

Donnacadh O'Briain

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Donnacadh’s productions have played at The Royal Shakespeare Company, in the West End, and internationally.

His acclaimed production of Rotterdam by Jon Brittain won the 2017 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre.

He developed and directed All About You’s first production; MyWorld Has Exploded A Little Bit. 

Other favourite productions include: Always Orange by Fraser Grace (RSC); Electrolyte (Edinburgh Festival & touring), Mother Christmas (Hampstead); PEEP (Edinburgh and Latitude festivals); King Lear (Wexford Opera House and touring); and as an Assistant director to the RSC’s multi award-winning Histories Cycle.

Sara Alexander

Associate Artist

Sara performed alongside Bella in My World Has Exploded A Little Bit, following which we invited her to collaborate on developing Rejoicing At Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself.

She helped shape the piece from the beginning, and played Clitoris/Appetite in the show at Ovalhouse. Sara is a University of Bristol & DSL graduate.

Work includes RSC, National and Globe Theatre Rome, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows 1, Zeffirelli’s Sparrow, Mysti Show & Hounded (series regular BBC). She also writes beautiful novels. 

 
“Alexander is a charismatic performer, both cute and carnal.”
— The Guardian

Elizabeth Harper

Regular Collaborator

Elizabeth trained in Theatre Design at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She is also an artist. Elizabeth designed our first show, My World Has Exploded A Little Bit, creating a series of beautifully evocative, delicate drawings that were projected onto a screen. We loved working with her, so we invited her to design our second show, Rejoicing At Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself. We used projection again, and Elizabeth demonstrated her versatility and talent, creating a new series of original drawings in a completely different, much bolder style. She also created a gorgeous garden like space for us to escape the patriarchy and play freely.

Work With Us

workshops

We offer a range of workshops, which can be tailored towards different groups, whether they be emerging artists, students, prisoners or professionals in non-performance related fields. We are happy to create bespoke workshops to suit your needs. The thing they will all have in common is a focus on vulnerability and authenticity – finding and freeing your voice, allowing you to make meaningful connections in unexpected new ways.

Some ideas for workshops we already offer:

  • ‘Spontaneity and the self in performance’ 

  • ‘Interrogating form: post dramatic story telling’

  • ‘Devising plays: creating work in the room’

If you’re interested in booking a workshop, please get in touch.

programmers/producers

Rejoicing At Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself and My World Has Exploded A Little Bit are both available for programming. If you’re interested in them for your venue or festival, please get in touch.

We’re looking for partners to develop Arms Flung Wide with us. If you’re interested in supporting this exciting new piece, please get in touch.

artists

We’re always interested in meeting new people and potential collaborators. If you’d like to grab a coffee and chat about how we work, or invite us to see your work, drop us a line.

Interviews & Articles