Eleemosynary (eh-luh-moss-uh-nary): adj. charitable, the giving of alms.

Teenager Echo's single-minded determination to win a national spelling contest is the perfect escape route from the ghosts of her past and the constant upheaval of her family life.  Abandoned as a young child by her helpless mother into the care of her strong-willed, domineering and eccentric grandmother, her amazing proficiency in spelling is the one thing she is in control of.  Yet personal tragedies and maternal love begin to reconcile the three women, and they realise that sometimes you need more than just an extensive vocabulary to express how you really feel.

The Octagon Theatre, in association with Birkbeck, presented this quirky, funny, bold and perceptive comedy-drama from Tony award-winning US playwright Lee Blessing.

This production, featured a professional cast and creative team, and was directed by Catherine Paskell as part of her secondment to the Octagon Theatre from the MFA in Theatre Directing course at Birkbeck University of London. It was supported by Arts Council England.

The cast of Eleemosynary in rehearsals: