In 1760 Gainsborough painted a portrait of Ann Ford which took his world by storm.

Prepared to break the rules about how a woman should be portrayed, this painting was a cause of outrage but put a seal on Gainsborough's growing reputation.

The play has all kinds of local connections –Two of Sudbury's present day silk weavers, Stephen Walters and Richard Matthews, have provided the silk for the dress, having it specially woven to match the design in the portrait.

Come to the play and enter the world of Gainsborough and this extraordinary young woman. Tickets: £12/£10 available from www.ticketsource.co.uk Sponsored by The Arts Council, Suffolk County Council, Colchester and Ipswich Museums,  Sudbury Town Council, Stephen Walters and Humphries Weaving, The Cincinnati Art Museum