“A mighty spirit is about to reawaken. Yours”

Derek Jarman: film-maker, painter, gardener at Prospect Cottage, activist, writer… his influence remains as strong as it was on the day AIDS killed him in 1994. But his story, one of the most extraordinary lives ever lived, has never been told. Until now.

This vibrant new solo play by Mark Farrelly (Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope, Howerd’s End) brings Derek back into being for a passionate, daring reminder of the courage it takes to truly live while you’re alive. A journey from Dungeness to deepest, brightest Soho and into the heart of one of our most iconoclastic artists.

Jarman’s works include taboo-breaking films like Sebastiane, Jubilee and Caravaggio, pop videos for the Pet Shop Boys (It’s A Sin and Rent), his extraordinary borderless garden in Dungeness, his shocking last paintings, and his unforgettable final film Blue, consisting of a single continuous frame of blue and chronicling what it’s like to lose your sight…but never your artistic vision.

TRAILER also available as an MP4 to embed on Social Media, websites and emails.

TRAILER

Running time: 80 minutes, no interval.
Director: Sarah-Louise Young.

“I hope audiences will feel stirred into living more bravely, stop elaborately murdering time and grasp each precious moment”.
Short interview with London Theatre Scene about “Jarman”.
Nominated for Best Solo Performance In A Play, Off-West End Awards 2022.
Reviews:
★★★★★ Queer Guru

“beautiful, fun and relentlessly inspiring. Jarman is a fearless portrait of a key figure in LGBTQ+ history, and one of this country’s greatest artists’

★★★★★ Bum on a Seat
“Jarman admonishes us to ‘be astonishing’. And that’s exactly what Mark Farrelly is. Fabulous, thought-provoking stuff”

★★★★★ “a performance of such controlled brilliance” AJH Loves Theatre

★★★★★ London Theatre 1
‘a mini-masterpiece”

★★★★ The Stage
‘a gripping solo show”

★★★★ North West End
“Incredibly accomplished”

★★★★ West End Best Friend
“astonishingly charismatic”

★★★★ Theatre-News.com:
“A mesmerising performance that moves, amuses and shocks in equal measure. A stunning piece of theatre and stage craft that will enthral all that see it”

★★★★ Sardines Magazine:
“Farrelly is a remarkable actor. He brings an extraordinary, glittering edge and sense of danger to everything he does”

★★★★  The Reviews Hub
“The amount of emotional energy Farrelly sustains in taking us through all the different phases of Jarman’s life is remarkable”

★★★★ London Living Large:
“An astonishing and heartfelt portrayal… Exceptional”

★★★★ Reviews Gate:
“An enthralling performance”

[No star ratings] The Greenwich Visitor:
“Farrelly has produced a fabulous portrait of a true original – witty, warm, wise, provocative, prodigiously talented and brutally honest. Jarman would have loved it”

“Saw both captivating shows.
What a wonderful compelling performer you are Mark!”
(Sir Matthew Bourne, August 2022)