Bright Places
By Rae Mainwaring
I was 23 when it came crashing into my life; without warning, when everything was going so well, just when I was really, really happy…
A three-woman, one-woman show about Multiple Sclerosis. MS for short. Not to be confused with M&S or S&M.
Rae Mainwaring's "glitter-fuelled pocket rocket of a show" (Watch That Scene) returns by popular demand. Bright Places is a brilliantly funny, and deeply honest, account of growing up in the shadow of chronic illness - and a story for anyone who's ever searched for joy in the hardest of times.
Expect 90s pop, a costume box and a whole heap of glitter in a “reflective yet raucous play about living with MS” (The Guardian).
2026 Tour Dates:
Nottingham Playhouse | 26 September 2026
The Atkinson, Southport | 30 September 2026
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry | 2 October 2026
Chelmsford Theatre | 8 October 2026
Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton | 10 October 2026
New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich | 20 October 2026
Hull Truck Theatre | 22-23 October 2026
The Place, Bedford | 27 October 2026
HOME, Manchester | 29-31 October 2026
Previous tour dates:
Birmingham Rep, Birmingham 24 October - 2 November 2024
Northern Stage, Newcastle 5 November 2024
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 6 - 8 November 2024
Exeter Northcott, Exeter 13 - 14 November 2024
Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester 22 November 2024
Dorchester Arts, Dorchester 28 November 2024
Soho Theatre, London 2 - 7 December 2024
Taunton Brewhouse, Taunton12 December 2024
Crediton Arts Centre13 December 2024
OTHER INFO
Suggested age guidance: 12+
Estimated running time: 75 mins
Information for Content Expectations: The production contains swearing, strobes and flashing lights. Many references to illness (specifically MS) to medical procedures and to disability and ableism as well as moments of distress and upset.
Access: Every performance include Creative Captioning (which means captions are integrated into the design on stage) and embedded Audio Description (which means audio description is included int the writing of the script).
The 2026 tour is presented by Carbon Theatre using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
The play was originally commissioned by Birmingham Rep in 2020, with generous support from the Barry Jackson Trust, before premiering in 2024 produced by Carbon Theatre in association with Birmingham Rep with using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and support from Barry Jackson Fund.
We are proud to be working with charity partner, Shift.ms: the digital community for people with MS.
Photo credit: Graeme Braidwood
REVIEWS
"reflective yet raucous play about living with MS” The Guardian
"seamlessly injecting fun, comedy, glittery costumes, and the best 90s pop classics... uplifting and empowering” ★★★★ The Reviews Hub
"a joyous, uplifting, and meaningful 80 minutes.” ★★★★ All That Dazzles
"so stunningly 90s... is sure to make you want to dance in your seat"★★★★ West End Best Friend
"completely captivating" ★★★★ Adventure in Theatreland
"tender, funny and poignant” ★★★★ Culture Bab
"life affirming” ★★★★ Not Compulsory
"I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I honestly recommend this play to everyone seeking a bit of inspiration” Switch Radio
"joyful, positive and uplifting” British Theatre Guide
CAST
ACTOR A | LAUREN FOSTER
ACTOR B | AIMEE BERWICK
ACTOR C | REBECCA HOLMES
COMPANY UNDERSTUDY | NATALLIA BULYNIA
CREATIVE TEAM | 2026
WRITER | RAE MAINWARING
DIRECTOR | JO GLEAVE
SET DESIGNER | GEMMA CASELEY-KIRK
COSTUME DESIGNER | RUTH BAGNALL
VIDEO & CREATIVE CAPTIONS DESIGNER | VIRGINIE TAYLOR
SOUND DESIGNER | CLIVE MELDRUM
LIGHTING DESIGNER | HOLLY ELLIS
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR | KEIREN HAMILTON-AMOS
PRODUCTION MANAGER | TO BE ANNOUNCED
STAGE MANAGER | JEANETTE MAGGS
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | ELLIOTT GRANT
DRAMATURG | TESSA WALKER
FILMMAKER | RACHEL BUNCE
PRODUCER | COURTENAY JOHNSON
CASTING DIRECTOR | POLLY JERROLD
MARKETING | CUP OF AMBITION
PRESS | CHLOÉ NELKIN CONSULTING
PHOTOGRAPHER | GRAEME BRAIDWOOD
ORIGINAL CREATIVES | 2024
DIRECTOR | TESSA WALKER
DESIGNER | DEBBIE DURU
CREATIVE CAPTION CONSULTANT | BEN GLOVER
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR | STEADY STEADMAN
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | NATALLIA BULYNIA
PRODUCTION MANAGER | JEANETTE MAGGS
COSTUME SUPERVISOR | RUTH BAGNALL
CAST
Lauren Foster
ACTOR A
Lauren has appeared in numerous stage productions including Rebel Music directed by Alex Brown, From Morning to Midnight performed at LIPA and Noughts & Crosses directed by Monique Touch. Lauren’s film and TV credits include BBC’s Holby City and Doctors, as well as Three Day Millionaire directed by Jack Spring.
Aimee Berwick
ACTOR B
Aimee is a performer, Aimee is a performer, writer and musician. Performing credits include: My Name is Leon (BBC2); Chase Tales (Birmingham Rep/Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles); Jazz in the Jungle/ Oscar at the Opera/the Christmas Moon Cat (Joey Walter/Ning-ning Li); The Decision (Birmingham Opera Company), Bright Places workshop (Birmingham Rep).
Rebecca Holmes
ACTOR C
Rebecca has worked on commercials and several feature and short films, most notably as the Bride in Ben Wheatley's Kill List. Her most recent theatre credit was as Florence Nightingale in one woman show Kissing Miss Nightingale's Shadow.
Rebecca was diagnosed at the age of 21 with relapsing and remitting MS and is honoured to be playing a role in such an important piece of theatre shedding light on an often misunderstood condition.
CREATIVES
Rae Mainwaring
WRITER
She/Her
Rae Mainwaring is a disabled Writer from Birmingham. She was part of Foundry 2019 cohort and is an alumni of Graeae's Beyond program and BBC writers room Cov voices.
In 2023, her play Bright Places won the Peggy Ramsay/Film4 bursary award. Her play, The Last (plastic) Straw; written for young performers, was commissioned by the Playhouse project and performed in several UK theatres.
Rae has a series in early development for screen with Left Bank Pictures and has taken part in a Netflix writer's room.
Holly Ellis
LIGHTING DESIGNER
She/Her
Holly Ellis is a graduate of LAMDA's technical theatre course. Her work includes; The Long Run (Touring), The Barber of Seville (Waterperry Opera), I'm Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire (Southwark Playhouse), The Promise (Birmingham Rep and Touring), Errol's Garden (Touring), The Naughty Carriage on the Orphan Train (Dundee Rep), Bitter Lemons (Bristol Old Vic), Spy for Spy (Riverside Studios), Blanket Ban (Southwark Playhouse), On the Ropes (Park Theatre), A Sherlock Carol (Associate LD, Marylebone Theatre), CASTEing (Roundabout), The Tempest (RCSSD;), Autopilot (Pleasance, Edinburgh), Animal Kingdom (Hampstead, Downstairs); Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon (Southwark Playhouse) *Offie Nominated for Best Lighting Design*, Bobby and Amy (North Wall/UK tour/ Pleasance Edinburgh); Tokyo Rose (Southwark Playhouse/UK tour), Errol's Garden (UK tour).
Clive Meldrum
SOUND DESIGNER
He/Him
Theatre credits include: Peter Pan the Musical (BOA Group), Love & Rebellion, Order & Chaos, Parklife, Uncommon Riches, GrimeBoy, The Play What I Wrote, Sky Comedy Rep, Blue/Orange, Stuff, Elephant, To Sir With Love, The Quiet House, The Rotters' Club, Folk, Unknown Male, The Mother, Respect, Cling To Me Like Ivy, Last Easter, How To Tell The Monsters From The Misfits, Looking For Yoghurt, and Hopelessly Devoted (Birmingham Repertory Theatre)
As Associate Sound Designer: Counting & Cracking - UK tour (Belvoir), Family Tree - UK tour (Actors Touring Company) Audio work: Chase Tales Trail (Cannock Chase Council & Birmingham Rep). Clive is also a visiting lecturer at University of Birmingham and BOA Stage & Screen.
Virginie Taylor
CREATIVE CAPTION DESIGNER
She/Her
Virginie Taylor is a London based theatre video and creative captions designer, with a background in lighting design and fine art. Recent video and lighting design credits include: Pajoma Collective at Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Vagina Rex and the Gas Oven at London Performance Studios, I’m Sorry I’m not Lucy Liu at Camden People’s Theatre and Hummingbird at VAULT Festival.
Video design: Windrush the Journey, Roman Fever and the Human Voice by Pegasus Opera, The Odyssey at Unicorn Theatre, Wendy: A Peter Pan Story at the Egg (creative captions only), waiting for a train at the bus stop at Ed Fringe, Press at Park Theatre, Charlie Russell Aims To Please at Ed Fringe and The Other Palace and No Place Like Home at Ed Fringe and Camden People’s Theatre (LET 2022 Award winner).
Natallia Bulynia
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
She/Her
Natallia is an actress, writer and a director originally from Belarus. In 2005 she moved to Seoul, South Korea, where she started her acting career. In Seoul, she graduated from Chung-Ang University with an MA in Performing Arts. In 2018 she continued her studies at East15, UK. Her acting credit include BBC Killing Eve, Marvel Secret Invasion and Netflix Kpop drama Queen of Tears.
Directing credits include La historia de Fernando (SIFFA, Rewind International Film Festival) and Fly (Walthamstow International Film Festival, Diaspora Film Festival NewYork).
Ben Glover
CREATIVE CAPTION CONSULTANT
He/Him
Video design and creative captioning credits include: Antony & Cleopatra (Shakespeare Globe), The Promise (Deafinitely Theatre), Alice in Wonderland (Derby Theatre), High Times and Dirty Monsters (20 Stories High), A Spectacle of Herself (Contra Production), Surfacing (ASYLUM arts), Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Concert Tour, NOISE (The Place), Little Bits of Ruined Beauty (Pentabus Theatre), The Lesson (Southwark Playhouse), The Paradis Files (Graeae Theatre), RED (Polka Theatre).
Jeanette Maggs
PRODUCTION & STAGE MANAGER
She/Her
Jeanette has a background in Sound, AV and Production Management, and has been working in theatre as Company Stage Manager and Deputy Stage Manager roles for the last ten years. Recent credits include Northanger Abbey ( Orange Tree Theatre, London / Octagon Theatre, Bolton / SJT Theatre, Scarborough / Theatre by the Lake, Keswick - Co Pro 2023), Little Red Riding Hood (The Rep, Birmingham 2023), Not The Last (Women And Theatre, Birmingham 2023), Biscuits For Breakfast (Hampstead Theatre, London 2023 ) and Run, Rebel (Pilot Theatre, Tour, 2023).
Ruth Bagnall
COSTUME SUPERVISOR
She/Her
Ruth is a Birmingham based costume designer, maker and wardrobe supervisor. With particular experience in vintage clothing and children's costuming, recent credits include costume design and creation for Open Theatre Company and costuming The Birmingham Bull in the Bullring. Alongside this she owns a children's costume company A is for Alice, supplying handmade children's costumes and accessories to boutiques, theatre and museum shops including The Globe and The Story Museum.
