The Eight Faces of Ellie Morrison, a new play that brings MMA action to the stage, will preview in New York City on July 25 at 8:00 p.m. and July 26 at 3:00 p.m. at Theatre Two at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, New York, NY). The one-hour performances are pay-what-you-can. The production then heads to the Edinburgh Fringe, where it will run August 7–29 (excluding August 16 and 23) at 8:45 p.m. at Forest Theatre at Greenside at George Street (Venue 236), located at The Royal Society of Edinburgh. Tickets are £16.50, with free preview performances on August 7, 8, and 9.
A high energy new play that brings live MMA (mixed martial arts) action to the stage in a unique production. Rock star Ellie dominates the charts, while her brother Luke (a struggling MMA fighter) has stepped away from the spotlight; but Ellie’s made a deal that everyone expects Luke to honour…
This unique piece of theatre brings together MMA, music, and dynamic new writing together to explore the themes of courage, success, loyalty, and what’s worth fighting for. Many writers immerse themselves in research, but debut playwright Sam Beeson went one step further; he trained as a fighter to bring his play, the Eight Faces of Ellie Morrison to life. The Eight Faces of Ellie Morrison is a unique new piece of theatre that blends live MMA (mixed martial arts) action and music to tell the story of rock star Ellie and her brother Luke. As Ellie’s star rises, Luke turns his back on life in the ring and the drama of MMA fights to live a peaceful yet unfulfilling life, until Ellie makes a promise that everyone expects him to keep. Will he honour the deal she made on his behalf? The play is about courage, loyalty, making tough decisions, and dealing with the consequences of reckless behaviour.
This is the first time that MMA has been incorporated in a live theatre performance, and as writer and actor Sam Beeson (who plays MMA fighter Luke) explains, the writing process went beyond traditional research and saw him not only training in MMA gyms but stepping into the ring and taking part in competitive fights.
Sam is keen to dispel myths around MMA and hopes that the play will show audiences a different side to the sport. ‘MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, but many people – perhaps due to the fact it’s often referred to as ‘cage fighting’ – see it as something underground, undisciplined, and violent. What they don’t realise is that there’s a huge camaraderie within the MMA community, who are eager to pass their knowledge down. The community welcomed me with open arms, and supported not just my training, but also my writing. Basically, I told my coaches that I wanted to set a play in their world, a world that I had no real understanding of, and they gave me the knowledge, guidance, and skills to not only bring MMA to life on the stage, but to actually compete and become part of it’.
In addition to live MMA action, The Eight Faces of Ellie Morrison also includes live music in the form of an original new song, provisionally titled ‘Your Majesty’ which will be performed live each night by Aislinn Evans (who plays the titular role of Ellie Morrison). The lyrics were written by Sam who describes the song as a rock and roll ballad inspired by 80s and 90s UK Glam Rock (particularly The Struts). The song reflects the play’s main themes of courage, confidence, and showmanship.
