大象传媒

Ellie Kendrick stars in Louise Monaghan's new play.
Twenty five year old Izzie has epilepsy, which isn't such a big deal. There are drugs and the drugs do work. Until you have a baby and want to breastfeed. Then everything changes. Everyone has an opinion - she should take her drugs - but this is Izzie's body and Izzie's condition and Sophie is the most important thing that has ever happened in her life. Anyway, she hasn't had a seizure in ages. And then she does ...

Produced and Directed by Tracey Neale

The play follows the story of a young mum, Izzie. Izzie experienced epileptic seizures as a teenager but they stopped in adult life. However, after having her first baby, her epilepsy comes back. Initially Izzie is in denial and her family struggle with the diagnosis. When Izzie finds her teenage diaries and begins reading them she reconnects with her own story, slipping through time from present to past and eventually comes to terms with her condition. Discovering her teenage diaries gives Izzie a new perspective on her epilepsy but it's not until she puts the words together with a picture of herself having a seizure that it all begins to make sense.

This is Louise's third play for radio and this one has been inspired by Louise's own epilepsy. A febrile convulsion at the age of two and then petit mals during puberty. For a number of years she didn't have one and then suddenly had one five years ago after coming round from an anaesthetic after a minor operation. It has also been inspired by the photo-journal Helen Stephens created with Matt Thompson.