Rossetti's Spaghetti

by Derek Webb,
published on

Or the tangled love lives of a Pre-Raphaelite artist

Full length drama about Gabriel Rossetti and the women in his life. 1M, 1F. Running time 80 minutes

Gabriel Rossetti was the leading light of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of artists who aimed to challenge the art establishment of the mid 19th century.  Their style, heavily influenced by romantiac notions and Arthurian legends, quickly gained a huge following and paved the way for the Aesthetic movement – and was a huge influence on the development of art into the 20th century.

In the play we trace Rossetti's life through the eyes of four of the women he loved: the tragic Lizzie Siddal who committed suicide; Fanny Cornforth, subject of dozens of paintings; Jane, wife of William Morris, whose face looks out from some of Rossetti's most famous paintings; and Alexa Wilding, not so well known but probably the model Rossetti painted the most.

The play explores not just his relationships and their consequences, but also the question: what exactly is art and what is its relevance?

FOR A FREE PERUSAL SCRIPT CLICK HERE

Characters:

Henry Treffry Dunn - assistant to Rossetti and friend

Woman - a versatile and acomplished actress who plays four different women.