Women of the World add wow factor to Rochdale’s literature festival

Women of the World

Well known faces from stage and screen will be appearing at the Curtain Theatre in Rochdale this month during Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival.

On Sunday 21 October at 2pm renowned director, actor and writer Joyce Branagh will present 'Women of the World' at the Milkstone Road theatre - featuring some very special guests reading classic poetry and prose on stage.

These include Hannah Ellis Ryan, Mina Anwar and Krissi Bohn, with another name to be confirmed.

Hannah Ellis Ryan is currently starring as controversial Hannah Gilmore in Coronation Street. She has numerous theatre credits to her name including Mercutio in Girl Gang Manchester's Romeo and Juliet and 'Stella' in Play With Fire Productions 'Things We Want'.

Mina Anwar's numerous television roles over her 25 year career include Doctor Who, Happy Valley, Coronation Street and The Thin Blue Line.

Krissi Bohn is best known for playing Jenna Kamara in Coronation Street from 2012 to 2014 and her other on screen credits include sci-fi drama Counterpart and BBC series Moving On.

Director Joyce Branagh said the afternoon will be a tip-toe through historical and contemporary works, looking at strong women, weak women, silly women and some downright awful women, she said: "We can promise a really entertaining hour, hearing from some amazing real and fictional women from across the globe as they fight, love, shout, sulk, flirt, murder and force their way through some of our favourite stories and verse – performed live by some outstanding guest actors."

The festival which runs from Monday 15 October to Monday 22 October also features BBC presenter and triathlete Louise Minchin, actress, author and presenter Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE, writer and broadcaster Stuart Maconie and women's rights activist Dr Helen Pankhurst.

Three top crime authors - Isabelle Grey, Elly Griffiths and William Shaw will be discussing their work in 'Crime Files: Serial Offenders' and best-selling author Harry Sidebottom will be talking about his latest thriller, The Last Hour.

The annual festival covers drama, comedy, poetry, spoken word, visual arts and children's shows. For young people aged 14 to 25, there's a series of 'Generation Z' events.

The festival is aimed at celebrating and promoting the Maskew Collection of classic literature and philosophy at Rochdale Central Library, encouraging people to engage with books and ideas. Annie and Frank Maskew, a Rochdale couple who shared a passion for reading and thinking, met in Rochdale Library in the 1950s and left a sum of money to be used on resources and events related to literature and philosophy to ensure classic works are available for future generations.

For tickets to this event, visit:

http://rochdaleliteraturefestival.co.uk/whats-on/joyce-branagh-women-of-the-world/