THE MOTHER of a Home and Away actress is bringing her play about Anne Bronte to Haworth with a cast of Australian actors.

The Lost Voice of Anne Bronte is described as a Gothic tale of torment, tragedy and treachery. It comes to the Old Schoolroom, Haworth, on April 17to19 after a well-received premiere in Sydney.

The play is written by Leeds-born Cate Whittaker whose daughter Aleetza Wood played Peta Janossi in the Australian TV soap two decades ago.

Cate said the play, part of the Bronte Society’s celebration of Anne Bronte’s 200th anniversary year, would give the writer back her lost voice.

She said: “The young cast are extremely excited to be coming with this moving and powerful story around the tormented, tragic, treacherous lives of the Bronte siblings and the slow rise of Anne from a shy, sweet sickly girl to become a powerful force.

“She shocks the nation in her revelation of wife abuse in her second novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, then when the critics try to close her down she comes back with a blistering attack on them in the preface to the second edition.

“She dies before she can publish it and sister Charlotte, fearful of the effect on her and Anne’s reputation, refuses its publication denying Anne her rightful place in history.”

Cate began writing plays at the age of nine and won a place at the National Youth Theatre, but gave up her dream becoming a playwright as adult life intervened. She married, completed a Social Science Honours degree, worked for an accountancy firm, did a Dip Ed, set up her own pre-school, then had two daughters.

Job transfers took the family first to Germany then in 1983 to Australia, and after daughter Aleetza became an actress Cate began writing scripts for her.

Cate’s last play Forgotten, based on the female convict rebellion of 1827 in Parramatta Factory Prison, was a sell-out success last year in Australia.

Cate, who has many happy memories of visiting family in Rawdon, says the area has always been dear to her.

She added: “I have been in love with the Brontes since my mother first mentioned them to me at nine, when I told here i wanted to be a playwright. Their work has inspired me as a writer but their lives have fascinated me as a Social Historian, particularly Anne and her detailed chronicling of the attitude towards women and particularly her strong sense of social justice.”

She said it was an honour to write the play and have it performed to mark Anne’s bicentenary - describing it as “at 71 a child’s dream come true.”

The Lost Voice of Anne Bronte can be seen each day at 1.30pm and 7pm.

Visit trybooking.co.uk or bronte.org.uk to book tickets.