Laura-Jane Foley

Laura-Jane Foley (born July 1982 ^[1]) is a British playwright and art historian.^[2] Her play An Evening with Lucian Freud played at the Leicester Square Theatre in 2015.^[3] She lectures at the University of Cambridge in History of Art and Creative Writing.^[4]

Education and early career

Foley read History of Art at Homerton College, Cambridge, where she was awarded the Westall Prize.^[5] She also edited Varsity, the university newspaper.^[6] Foley was a choral scholar and during her second year appeared on the television programme Faking It, where she was transformed from choir girl to rock chick.^[7] She then undertook an MSt in History of Art at Trinity College, Oxford.^[8] While at Oxford, she edited ISIS magazine.^[9] She was awarded her PhD by Kingston University for a thesis entitled "Lucian Freud Portraits: Curatorial Ekphrasis in Contemporary British Poetic Practice".^[10]

Writing and academic career

Foley has lectured at Bristol University and Kingston University.^[11][12] She currently lectures in History of Art and Creative Writing at Cambridge University.^[4][13]

As a journalist, Foley has written for The Independent, TES,^[14] The Art Newspaper^[15] and The Liberal. From 2008-2010, she edited Politick! a political magazine for young people aged 18–35.^[16][17]

In 2009, Foley curated and edited The Butterfly Book, a charity art book which included contributions from Tony Blair, Kate Winslet, Grayson Perry, in aid of Leukaemia Research.^[18] She also contributed to Cambridge University – An 800th Anniversary Portrait (2009), The Old Parsonage (2010) Poetry from Art (2011) The Echoing Gallery (2013).^[19]

In 2015, Foley's play An Evening with Lucian Freud appeared at the Leicester Square Theatre in the West End.^[20] The one woman play with video cameos starred Cressida Bonas, Alastair Stewart and Maureen Lipman. The play was based on Foley's own experience with Lucian Freud after she rejected an offer to become his muse.^[21] The play received a lot of press attention, with Quentin Letts remarking in the Daily Mail that there was "a full house packed…. and Fleet Street drama critics in the front row" on the play’s Press Night.^[22] The widespread media coverage was due to the casting of Bonas in her first West End theatrical role.^[23]

In 2016, Foley collaborated with composer Stephen Barlow for a new opera composition 'She sings it differently'. It premiered at the National Portrait Gallery on 24 June 2016.^[24]

Foley mounted the exhibition 'The Shakespeareans' at The Ivy in August 2016. It featured Joss Ackland and Jonathan Pryce.^[25]

In 2016 Foley was shortlisted for an Aviva Women of the Future Award in the Arts and Culture category.^[26]

Personal life

Foley was in a brief relationship with Tim Rice which ended in February 2016. She is pregnant with his child, due in October 2016.^[27]

Selected works

Theatre

• Words of Love - P.S I Love You (Poem/Installation), Bradford Playhouse
• A Far Better Thing (Libretto), ROH workshop, Jerwood Space
• An Evening with Lucian Freud (Play), Leicester Square Theatre

Books

• The Butterfly Book (Art book) (2009)
• Cambridge University - An 800th Anniversary Portrait (Article) (2009)
• The Old Parsonage (Novella) (2010)
• Poetry from Art (Poem) (2011)
• The Echoing Gallery (Poem) (2013)
• An Evening with Lucian Freud (Playtext) (2015)

References

External links

• Official website
• Cambridge University Biography