Picasso's Women

A FASCINATING insight into Pablo Picasso’s wives and lovers is emerging from the canvas at Harbour Theatre, as three women share stories about their lives with the great artist.

Written by Brian McAvera and directed by Jarrod Buttery, Picasso’s Women is a collection of three honest, erotic and humorous monologues that pull no punches.

The 2000 play allows Fernande Olivier, Françoise Gilot and Jacqueline Roque to give their point of view and uncover their buried histories while relating their lives to Picasso’s art.

“Most people know Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, yet few know details about his personal life,” Jarrod said.

“Picasso was married twice but had many muses and mistresses and this production explores the lives of three of the most prominent women.

“The challenge of Picasso’s Women is in respectfully depicting real women who lived through some of the most tumultuous years of the 1900s.

“We are fortunate to have three exceptionally talented actresses, with many past productions to their credit, who are excited to bring these three women to life on stage.”

Involved in theatre for more than 30 years, Jarrod was one of the founding members of Blak Yak Theatre and has performed in a plethora of productions with Melville, Roleystone, Garrick, Limelight, Playlovers, KADS, Old Mill, Kwinana and Harbour Theatres.

He directed the first Terry Pratchett play to be staged in Australia, was named best director at the 2004 South West Drama Festival for his production of Heide’s Last Hit and directed the sold-out season of The Ladies Foursome at Harbour Theatre earlier this year.

“The fascinating aspect of Picasso's Women is that it depicts female characters who are not only strong and three-dimensional but real-life historical figures,” Jarrod said.

“These are real women who shared their lives with one of the most famous men of the past century.

“Françoise Gilot, who had two children with Picasso and is still alive, will celebrate her 100th birthday on November 26, which is our opening night.”