Underdog: The Other Other Brontë

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Concord Theatricals

Underdog: The Other Other Brontë

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Cast Size

3w, 5 any gender (adult) plus ensemble
Duration

More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
Subgenre

Period
Target Audience

Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Accolades

Winner! 2020 Nick Darke Award

Details

Summary

Charlotte Brontë has a confession about how one sister became an idol, and the other became known as the third sister. You know the one. No, not that one. The other, other one… Anne.

This is not a story about well-behaved women. This is a story about the power of words. It’s about sisters and sisterhood, love and jealousy, support and competition.

Sarah Gordon’s new play is an irreverent retelling of the life and legend of the Brontë sisters, and the story of the sibling power dynamics that shaped their uneven rise to fame.

History

Underdog: The Other Other Brontë premiered as a co-production between the Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre, London, and Northern Stage, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Directed by Natalie Ibu, the production opened at the Dorfman on 4 April 2024 and at Northern Stage on 7 June 2024.

Cast Attributes

Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle)

CHARLOTTE BRONTË
ANNE BRONTË
EMILY BRONTË

An Ensemble plays the following:

MRS INGHAM, CUNLIFFEE, SMITH, GEORGE SMITH, THOMAS NEWBY, HARRIET MARTINEAU, ELIZABETH GASKELL, TABBY HEGER, BROCKLEHURST, BRANDWELL, WESTMINISTER REVIEW, THOMAS REID, ELIZABETH RIGBY, NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW, THE SPECTATOR, THE ATLAS, QUARTERLY, CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER, LONDON MAGAZINE, CRITIC 2, GEORGE HENRY LEWES, FONBLANQUE, WEEKLY NEWS, LITERARY WORLD, THE ANTHENAEUM, THACKERY, THE ERA, MAY SINCLAIR, DRIVER

Multiple parts played per actor. Roles should not be assigned based on gender.

Time Period 19th Century
Features Period Costumes
Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
Cautions
- Strong Language

Media

“Playful.” – Evening Standard

“A funny, bubbling, bolshie play about sisterhood, feminism, creativity and fame.” – Financial Times

“Enjoyably comic.” – The Arts Desk

“It uncovers the flesh and blood females behind the Brontë myth while interrogating entrenched patriarchy in a broad satire punctuated with amusing anachronistic dialogue.” – Daily Express

“Quick-witted drama.” – The Guardian

“This blistering myth-buster hits the wuthering heights.” – London Theatre

“Richly entertaining.” – The Reviews Hub

“Gordon’s dialogue is blunt, funny and wilfully anachronistic.” – TimeOut

“Written with passion and wit.” – WhatsOnStage

Videos

Underdog: The Other Other Brontë – Official National Theatre Trailer
Underdog: The Other Other Brontë – Beneath the Yorkshire Moors (National Theatre)

Licensing & Materials

Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Underdog: The Other Other Brontë