NEW ANATOMIES marks an unusual departure for the Women's Theatre Group. The actresses will not only be playing women, but men, and women impersonating men. The play is concerned with definitions of gender and how they can be broken.

Set in the late 19th century - one of the most claustrophobic eras for women - the play is about women who were determined to live more interesting and creative lives. In order to achieve this they sometimes had to go to the extent of ridding themselves of the clothes, restrictive gestures and habits of women. But although they donned men's personalities, they did not "become men", but rather switched sex according to need, or hovered somewhere in between. Once freed from convention, they could earn their living as male impersonators on the music hall stage, write, or become adventurers like Isabelle Eberhardt. This extraordinary woman was able, between bouts of sexual rampage and drink, to get herself accepted as a young devout in a Moslem male sect.

Timberlake Wertenbaker has had four plays produced in England in 1980, as well as one in America. Her first play THE THIRD won a literary prize. SECOND SENTENCE, produced by the Brighton Actor's Workshop, was praised in "The Stage" for the "living quality of its dialogue and the rounded reality of its characters." CASE TO ANSWER at the Soho Poly was called by "Time Out", "theatre of wit, intelli¬gence and power". The same play under the title HAPPY ENDING was heralded in America as "beauti¬fully written", a witty and passionate study". The Women's Theatre Group are currently touring Timberlake's play BREAKING THROUGH - a show for young people about nuclear power.

NEW ANATOMIES will be directed by Nancy Diuguid, who has a wealth of experience in acting and directing in Fringe Theatre, and whose recent productions have received enormous praise. They include DEAR LOVE OF COMRADES, for the Gay Sweatshop Men's Company in 1979, ANGELS DESCEND ON PARIS, 1980 at the Albany, TOM FOOL at the Half Moon (1980), and HOW I GOT THAT STORY at the Hampstead Theatre (1981). ANGELS DESCEND ON PARIS was named as one of the most mem¬orable shows of 1980 by "Time Out" and Nicholas de Jongh in "The Guardian" said, "Nancy Diuguid's direction, with its frozen, eerily-lit tableaux, is pictorially superb."
NEW ANATOMIES will be designed by lona Mcleish, who has been a freelance director in theatre for five years. Her work includes - ARTUROUI at the Half Moon Theatre, HAMLET at the Half Moon, MER¬CHANT OF VENICE at the Young Vic, QUANTRILL IN LAWRENCE for Foco Novo at the ICA, and PAL JOEY (costumes) at the Half Moon and the Albery Theatre.

THE WOMEN'S THEATRE GROUP have been in existence for eight years. During that time we have toured a variety of work for both adult and youth audiences. Our work includes small, adaptable productions for youth and community venues, and larger productions for theatres, arts centres, and studios. NEW ANATOMIES will fall into the latter category. Recent productions include THE SOAP OPERA, MY MKINGA and BETTER A LIVE POMPEY THAN A DEAD CYRIL - a cabaret of Stevie Smith's poetry with music. This remarkably successful show toured for fourteen months in theatres and community venues.