About this item
Highlights
- Ella Grey and her friends are ordinary kids from ordinary families in an ordinary world.
- About the Author: David Almond is a British author who has written many novels for children and young adults, including Skellig (1998), The Fire-Eaters (2003), Clay (2005) and A Song for Ella Grey (2014).
- 112 Pages
- Drama, Women Authors
Description
Book Synopsis
Ella Grey and her friends are ordinary kids from ordinary families in an ordinary world. They fall in and out of love, play music, stare at the stars, yearn for excitement, and have parties on the beautiful beaches of Northumberland. One day a stranger - a musician called Orpheus - appears on the beach, entrancing them all, but particularly Ella. Where have they come from and what path will Ella follow?
A Song for Ella Grey is a version of the myth of Orpheus that sings of the madness of youth, the ache of love, and the near-impossibility of grasping death. Zoe Cooper's stage adaptation of David Almond's award-winning novel was first produced in 2024 by Pilot Theatre, in association with Northern Stage and York Theatre Royal.
This edition includes the full text of the play along with a range of teaching materials and resources designed to help educators bring the play to life for their students.
Review Quotes
"Soulful and imaginative... admirably answers the questions posed by David Almond's novel... timeless, fractured and haunting." --Guardian
"A stylish and seductive retelling of the Orpheus myth... Lacing its dreamy mysticism with sharp humor, Zoe Cooper's clever adaptation captures the raw intensity not just of first love, but of all the complex bonds of youth... a refreshing take on a classic that feels both immediate and timeless." --The Stage
"Conveys the poetic mystery of [the novel] extraordinarily well... the combination of other worlds and down-to-earth Sixth Form life is irresistible." --Reviews Hub
About the Author
David Almond is a British author who has written many novels for children and young adults, including Skellig (1998), The Fire-Eaters (2003), Clay (2005) and A Song for Ella Grey (2014).
Zoe Cooper is a playwright whose work includes: A Song for Ella Grey, adapted from the novel by David Almond (Pilot Theatre, 2024); Northanger Abbey after Jane Austen (Orange Tree Theatre Richmond, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough & Theatre by the Lake, 2024); The Kiss (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, part of the Inside/Outside season of short plays, 2021); Out of Water (Orange Tree Theatre, 2019, in association with the RSC; a finalist in the 2020 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and shortlisted for the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Awards 2019); and Jess and Joe Forever (Orange Tree Theatre, 2017, followed by UK tour; winner of the Most Promising Playwright Award at the Off West End Awards 2017; longlisted for the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright Award).