The Testament of Ann Lee + Intro

Amanda Seyfried returns to the musical, but we couldn’t be further from Mamma Mia! in this biography of a Manchester woman turned American religious messiah. Personal tragedy pushes Ann to forego Britain and take her husband (Christopher Abbott, Bring Them Down) to take her new religious sect Shakerism to the promised land. It is an impressive feat for a woman in the 1800s, made all the more astonishing for her utopian approach that is still radical to this day.

Having also worked together on The Brutalist, director Mona Fastvold’s work with co-writer Brady Corbet is just as ambitious in this other tale of a visionary émigré trying to reshape America. To the songs, Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg brings an unconventional but also beguiling take on Shaker spirituals.

All screenings will be preceded by a recorded introduction from director-writer Mona Fastvold and lead actor Amanda Seyfried, produced by Reclaim the Frame, a charity championing marginalised perspectives in cinema and connecting with audiences and communities through special screenings and events across the UK.