We sat down with Eleanor Tindall, writer of Tender which is at the Bush Theatre until 21 December – https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/tender/.
Tender captures the complexities of modern relationships, identity, and self-discovery. How did the characters of Ivy and Ash develop in your writing process, and did they surprise you in any way as the story evolved?
I wrote the first draft of Tender in 2020, so Ivy and Ash have developed a lot during that time – they’ve become more nuanced and layered, which feels satisfying. For me, I find the characters surprise me most when the actors take them on – and that’s the best part. Annabel and Nadi have been instrumental in shaping Ash & Ivy and it’s been really magic to watch.
The play balances deeply personal emotional struggles with elements of mystery, such as the pulsing wallpaper in Ash’s flat. How do these surreal elements reflect or enhance the themes of the play?
In Tender, the space that Ash & Ivy inhabit is very much alive – kind of like a haunted house, representing the uncomfortable, inescapable presence of their pasts. It’s meant to almost work like a third character & the set designer Alys has interpreted this in the most exciting, smart way.
Your previous work, Before I Was A Bear, also explored themes of transformation and identity. How does Tender build on or diverge from the themes and styles you’ve explored in your earlier works?
I would say Tender explores a release rather than a transformation – or at least, the type of transformation presented is very different than the one in Before I Was A Bear. The instinct for the surreal is something that exists in both plays- though it’s perhaps even more amplified in this one. The plays are definitely cousins.
The play deals with leaving parts of oneself behind, both literally and metaphorically, as Ivy does with her childhood room. What drew you to explore this theme of emotional and physical separation?
I have always been interested in presenting emotions as forces that spill out of people’s bodies into the surreal & otherworldly. The Yellow Wallpaper was one of the inspirations for this play – in that story, the character is terrorised by a woman in the wallpaper. I really wanted to explore what that motif might mean in a contemporary setting, and what version of it would complement the story I wanted to tell the most.
What was the collaborative process like with director Emily Aboud and the rest of the creative team in bringing Tender to life? Did their perspectives influence or reshape your vision for the play?
The collaboration is always my favourite part. Writing is so solitary – and especially with this play, which I wrote in both lockdowns – it has felt quite liberating to have other people’s hands on it. it no longer feels like mine and I love that. Emily has done the most incredible job with this play, better than I could have ever imagined – it’s not an easy script and they’ve just completely grabbed it by the horns and made it beautiful. The same goes for the entire team and I feel very lucky to have worked with them all.