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Privacy NoticeAmanda Abbington was met with a standing ovation and teary-eyed audience members after her debut performance in When It Happens To You at London’s Park Theatre last night. The North London theatre in Finsbury Park was buzzing with hundreds of live performance enthusiasts on Wednesday night, as the 50 year old Sherlock actress graced the stage. This comes after a challenging couple of months following her stint on Strictly Come Dancing last year. Last year, Amanda made headlines when she raised concerns about her dance partner Giovanni Pernice’s intense training methods. In January, it emerged that the 51 year old had asked for footage of their ‘tense’ training sessions, sparking a misconduct investigation.
Amanda said she received death and rape threats after making the allegations against Giovanni Pernice
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
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The outcome of this investigation is anticipated to be announced this week, with Giovanni’s team expressing confidence in his exoneration. Despite the recent turmoil, Amanda put on a brave face for her stage performance, earning praise from the audience for her ‘strength’ and ‘willpower’. The play, When It Happens to You, penned by a New York Times best-selling author, Tawni O’Dell, is based on the author’s personal experience of keeping her family together after a life-altering event, reports the Mirror. Former Strictly star Amanda Abbington led the cast in this powerful drama that explores human courage and resilience in the aftermath of a devastating incident. Directed by Jez Bond, the Park Theatre’s Artistic Director, the gripping drama is a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with tears, laughter, hope, and love. Tawni O’Dell’s emotionally charged ‘theatrical memoir’ delves into her personal journey coming to terms with the traumatic aftermath of her daughter’s horrific rape. Echoing a sentiment that Amanda Abbington recently opened up about regarding her time on Strictly Come Dancing, actor Day mentioned: “We feel very safe and supported in handling this subject matter. But there are moments when you step out of the rehearsal room, take a breath and go back in again.” In the gripping 85-minute play, Amanda’s character Tara battles with self-blame for not shielding her daughter, while Esme directs her pain and resentment towards those closest to her. Last week, Amanda shared with Channel 4 the extreme backlash, including death and rape threats aimed at her and her children, she faced after making allegations against Giovanni, who has refuted these claims. “Brutal, relentless, unforgiving…rape threats to myself and my daughter and threats of death to my son,” Amanda recounted to Channel 4. She laid bare the extent of harassment she endured following her allegations of Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour. Amanda has opened up about her latest role in the play ‘When It Happens To You’, sharing her excitement: “When Jez sent me When It Happens to You, I immediately read it in one sitting I couldn’t put it down. The story is important and necessary, and the characters are nuanced, complex and completely relatable. The Mother character of Tara is a gift of a role for any actor, and I’m thrilled to be working with Jez Bond who I know will direct the piece with the care and sensitivity it deserves.”
Amanda ‘broke down in tears’ seeing the audience’s reaction
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Director Jez Bond also expressed his enthusiasm for the project, saying: “When It Happens to You is an important, timely and powerful piece of theatre. I’m thrilled to be working with Amanda Abbington who read the play and, like me, immediately felt compelled to do it.” He added, “The best theatre is often a story told simply that connects to the heart of the audience, and I can’t think of a more powerful play to present within the intimate setting of Park200. By equal turns heartbreaking and hopeful, we invite you in to experience this truly theatrical page turner.” After her stunning debut performance, Amanda was met with a standing ovation, leaving not a dry eye in the house as she delivered an incredibly moving portrayal. Overwhelmed by the response, Amanda was visibly moved to tears when the audience rose to their feet in appreciation of the cast’s phenomenal adaptation of the acclaimed novel. Chatting with The Mirror, a member of the audience couldn’t help but rave about Amanda’s professionalism despite the drama that’s been following her since her departure from Strictly Come Dancing. “We all know that Amanda is an incredible actress, but tonight has been almost a religious experience,” they exclaimed. “To see her perform live, knowing about everything she has on her shoulders at the minute and everything that has been weighing her down, it’s amazing how she managed to keep her emotions in check in such a moving play. It’s almost as if she could sympathise with the character she plays in this. Truly marvellous,” they continued. “It was so, so, good. Amanda put her all into it, that was very obvious to see. She has such a wonderful stage presence and it was amazing to see her act in real time. She really is talented,” another theatre-goer remarked. “Given all that she has been through, Amanda put on one hell of a performance tonight. Everyone needs to go and see this play if they can. You’ll be thinking about it for days no doubt,” chimed in another fan. Meanwhile, another admirer commented: “For such a dark and raw subject matter to be played out so delicately is a credit to Amanda and the rest of the cast and people behind the story. It’s not an easy thing theme to navigate, but it shows the love between a mother and daughter, and more importantly, their unbreakable bond.” “Amanda Abbington’s new play is so super powerful. Floods of tears. She was amazing,” yet another added. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this story you can contact Rape Crisis in the UK on their online chat or by calling 0808 500 2222.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnGiovanni PerniceStrictly Come DancingDramaAmanda Abbington
