Alys, Always Tickets

Frances feels stuck. Each day, she goes to her dreary, lifeless job as a sub-editor for the book pages of a Sunday newspaper. She is constantly reading about the glamorous life of the literary elite, but she feels invisible, trapped in a dull routine. But everything changes one night when Frances witnesses the tragic death of a driver who has crashed her car – none other than Alys Kyte, wife of the great novelist, Laurence Kyte. When the Kytes contact Frances to hear the story of Alys’s final moments, she finds herself perched on the edge of a life-altering opportunity. With some casual deception, Frances eases her way into the life she’s always wanted, but what is she willing to do to hold on to it?

Based on the Harriet Lane’s “chilling and accomplished” debut novel (“The Independent”), “Alys, Always” is now adapted for the stage by the esteemed British playwright Lucinda Coxon, premiering for the first time at the Bridge Theatre.

What to watch for

Fans of “Downton Abbey” will be excited to see a familiar face playing the leading role of Frances in “Alys, Always” – Golden Globe-winning actor Joanne Froggatt, known for her portrayal of Anna on the hit television series.

Lucinda Coxon has experience with adapting successful novels for an audience. Her most notable work is the adapted screenplay for the critically acclaimed 2015 film “The Danish Girl,” nominated for multiple Oscar Awards and the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.

Harriet Lane wrote the novel “Alys, Always” while gradually losing her vision to an autoimmune disorder. In an interview with book reviewer Anne Goodwin, she said “writing from the point of view of a character who gradually asserts control over her life... was a weird sort of wish-fulfillment.”