Coco is coming to town. The colourful, captivating, and controversial life of fashion icon Coco Chanel is portrayed in the latest Blackheath Theatre Company production of More Than a Little Black Dress.
The play, by Australian author Jo Denver, starts a six-performance season on May 13 at the Phillips Hall in the Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre.
Three different actors will appear as Coco as the drama reveals the early childhood, the famously high-profile years of the Chanel salon days, and the lesser-known dark side of Coco being charged with collaboration with the Nazi hierarchy during the occupation of Paris in World War II.
Coco, the young convent schoolgirl, is played by Daisy Levell, who at 16, has acted in Blue Mountains Grammar productions of Much Ado About Nothing and Cinderella.
Daisy performed in two Blackheath Rhodo Revues, and completed weekend drama courses at NIDA. In 2020 she was awarded a work experience scholarship at Sydney Theatre Company.
Coco, at the height of her salon fashion fame, is played by Skye Evans. Originally from the USA, but a Blue Mountains resident for the past 15 years, Evans studied physical theatre at the University of London and holds a BA in Theatre Arts. Her stage acting career includes roles as Viola in Twelfth Night, Rosalind in As You Like It and Salome in Oscar Wilde's Salome.
Coco, facing the Free French Tribunal after the war, is played by Lucy Twomey. Twomey trained in dance and drama in London. She acted in The Vagina Monologues in Sydney and in Working by Studs Terkel in Boston, USA.
In Blackheath she has written a play performed by the BTC. Twomey is enjoying the challenge of portraying Coco's complex character under fire.
The production has caught the imagination of the community who have been starved of live theatre opportunities due to the COVID pandemic, So much so, the first four performances are sold out, but seats are still available for the Sunday, May 16, matinee performance at 2pm and the evening 7.30pm performance.
Tickets from Century 21 Real Estate, 36 Govetts Leap Road or online at blackheaththeatrecompany.com.
