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      Interview: We All Have Strange Celeb Crushes!

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      Split Infinitive tell us all about I Heart Michael Ball

      Our latest podcast sees the return of Lily MIddleton, who chats to Alexander and Helen Millington from Split Infinitive. They are bringing thier latest show, I Heart Michael Ball to Brighton Fringe in May, and Camden Fringe in August.

      As well as chatting about the show, they also discuss interacting with the audience, why they love fringe theatre so much, and just what would happen if Michael Ball actually showed up to watch a performance. And Lily does her very best to find out why there is so much blood in the show poster!

      The company are current crowdfunding to help finance the upcoming runs, and to ensure all creatives involved receive a fair wage for their contributions. You can support them by donating to their crowdfunding here.

      I Heart Michael Ball

      It’s the tenth bi-annual meeting of the Michael Ball Appreciation Society and Alex, their founder, has a special surprise to mark the occasion. Alex has been obsessed with Michael Ball since he was a young boy when he first heard The Very Best of Michael Ball in his brother’s car.

      Just as the conductor directs his musicians, Alex orchestrates a fiendish plan to finally meet the blue-eyed boy from Bromsgrove. I Heart Michael Ball is a 60 minute, interactive, one-man show about grief and obsession. How far would you go to meet your hero?

      17 & 18 May: Brighton Fringe, The Lantern @ ACT. Info and bookings here.

      5 – 7 August: Camden Fringe, Etcetera Theatre. Info and bookings here. More

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      Interview: I.D.S.T. What Does It All Mean?

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      Jack Condon on his play If. Destroyed. Still. True.

      This week’s guest on our Runn Radio show was Jawbone Theatre‘s Jack Condon. Jack is a writer and actor, and If. Destroyed. Still. True. will be his first full length play when it comes to the Hope Theatre between 26 April and 14 May.

      We hear about the play and its themes of what happens when the place you grew up is no longer a place you feel you can call home, and how that affects relationships. As Jack explains, it is a theme he feels is universal and something experienced by so many people.

      We also hear why the play was originally going to simply be called I.D.S.T. and what the phrase means, plus why the play is being filmed and how he hopes this will allow it to be seen by audiences in small towns and villages who may associate with its themes.

      If. Destroyed. Still. True. plays at The Hope Theatre from 26 April. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      Interview: Going Underground with Richard II

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      Quandary Collective on Bringing Shakespeare’s Richard II to The Vaults

      We never grow tired of seeing new companies find new unique ways to present Shakespeare to us. For plays that are centuries old, it’s amazing how easily they seem to still hold relevance for us today.

      Quandary Collective are the next to bring something new to the table with their Vault-bound Richard II. Taking Shakespeare’s words, they promise a fushion of muscular movement, bloody violence and electronic beats, to bring you a gut-wrenching rendition of Shakespeare’s classic that’s somewhere between Mad Max: Fury Road, an episode of Game of Thrones and what it might have been like to stand in the pit at The Globe in 1595. This young company’s fearless adaptation looks at what it means to lead a country, the insidious effects of toxic masculinity, and why gender continually seems to matter in positions of power.

      With such ambitious sounding plans, it seemed a good time to sit down to ask them more, especially whether we were going to see Mad Max style vehicles screeching through the Vault’s dark damp tunnels.

      What do you bring that’s new to this version of Richard II?

      A thorough investigation of the text, shining a light on current politics and a possible outcome of the direction our world is heading in right now. Throw in a good dollop of muscular movement, and a sprinkling of electronic beats and you have our adaptation of Richard II.

      The Vaults have hosted some great promenade shows, is this another that is going to walk you through the tunnels with the action?

      No, the play is staged end on in the Vault’s main theatre space. Though the lines between the real and imagined blur, we in no way intend to convince anyone that this isn’t a play. 

      You’re taking the show to The Vaults, are those damp tunnels a perfect location for such treacherous tales?

      Oh, they so are. The atmosphere neatly settles the audience in to the near future were we are setting the play, with the trains at Waterloo running over us and becoming part of the world. Think Mad-Max meets the 13th century in a strange combination of renaissance, chivalry and religious fanaticism clashing with raw brutality and cave-man violence.

      And how do you keep Shakespeare relevant and fresh for new audiences?

      For one, by not using what we like to call the “Shakespeare-voice“. Of course verse isn’t the way we speak to each other day to day, but we still look to talk to each other as human beings. Plus we love regional accents, which often brings such beautiful roundedness to Shakespeare’s poetic language. We also use other devices like the movement and music to really bring the world to life and hopefully excite and delight audiences.

      The play is considered very political, can we draw any parallels to modern day then?

      It’s all about politics, and the parallels are baffling. How did Shakespeare know?! Couldn’t be more relevant. First, the clash of old and young, different generations, and their miscommunications are one major theme of the play. Also, the current situation in Europe means the importance of peace which lives very deeply in some of the characters is something Europe is just relearning. 

      You’ve changed Richard to be “a woman presented as a man”; how does change the play then?

      In the bones of it, it doesn’t change anything. The original version talks about the historical Richard being seen as a bad king for not being enough of a warrior, as his father and grandfather were, for which there is historical evidence such as a letter preserved from his uncle Gloucester essentially slagging him off for the very reasonable political decisions Richard made, as they were seen as weak and soft. Effectively calling him a wet bag! So the idea of a woman playing the part presenting as a man feels like it just highlights those elements. Though there may be a surprise or two in store for the audience still.

      There is mention of Mad Max in the show blurb – you aren’t going to drive futuristic cars around the tunnels are you? Or is the reference more to do with overall style?

      It’s about the style for sure, and a useful shared cultural reference to get an idea of the kind of world we are setting the play in. Although if we had the budget for futuristic cars, this might be a different answer…

      And you’re promising electronic beats, which suggests it’s going to be loud? Should we bring ear plugs?

      Ear plugs won’t be needed, but there is pumping beats and a lot of high-energy movement. We hope you’ll be feeling the beats with us rather than wanting to stop your ears up.

      The play clocks in at a daunting 2 hours 45 minutes (including interval), how do you keep an audience’s attention for such a long show, especially given what we know of the Vault’s seating! Were you not tempted to start making a few cuts here and there?

      Oh, we have cut the play! We have cut about 35 pages and reduced the character number from around 36 characters to 11. Still though, we are not worried about keeping the audiences’ attention. Firstly, the play is really funny – which isn’t always obvious in such a dark story, but it truly is. Secondly, the music, movement, violence and feel of the word brings the language and world alive. So really time will fly!

      You are on for a month at The Vaults, will you see daylight at all in April then?

      Hahahahaha, luckily we are only on in the evenings so we won’t turn into strange underground tunnel creatures ourselves, just our characters…

      Thanks to Quandary Collective for heading above ground to chat with us.

      Richard II plays at The Vaults 6 April to 8 May. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      Interview: The Only Way Is Essex for The Bush

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      Kristin Mcilquham on bringing Headcase to The Bush Theatre’s Essex On Stage Season

      A certain membr of our team might not have lived in Essex since they were very young, but they still have a soft spot for their birthplace of Romford. So when Bush Theatre announced it’s Essex on Stage Season there was a certain excietement to see what was coming to West London. One show, Kristin Mcilquham‘s Headcase certainly stood out to us, not becasue of its Essex roots but because of its examination of brain injuries.

      Headcase is a surprising comedy inspired by her life after her father suffered a brain injury when she was a young child. She shares her story whilst unpicking its effects into adulthood – not least as she faces turning 40 (the age her father was when he had the brain injury). She manages to do this with such a light touch, drawing in the audience, and creating something that resonates beyond the very personal story she shares – and also highlights the often unspoken impact of brain injury on families (she’s been supported by Headway Brain Injury Charity and worked with its members).

      With the show playing between 11 – 16 April, tt seemed a good time then to sit down with Kristin to find out more.

      What made you decide to write a story based on your life and your father’s brain injury?

      Initially as an actor I wanted to create work for myself which is why I decided to write a one-person own show.  I workshopped many ideas and I danced around telling this particular story for a while. However, growing up I wish I had seen & understood more about brain injury, I had no idea how many families were affected by it. Eventually that & finding an amazing director is what gave me the kick to tell this story. Scary though!

      Did you learn anything new about brain injuries as you researched the play?

      So much. I do go into that a little bit in the show, so I won’t say too much, but did you know roughly every 90 seconds someone is admitted to hospital with a brain injury? Headway brain charity has been a great source of information in my research.  I have also been lucky enough to take part in workshops with their members, who are all survivors of brain injuries, it was amazing to hear their experiences.

      Has the understanding of brain injuries developed/improved much since your father’s?

      Medical science has dramatically improved in the 34 years since my dad had his injury but there still isn’t enough being done. I would also like to see more support for families and carers.

      The show is playing as part of Essex On Stage at Bush Theatre – do you think West London is quite ready for a proper taste of Essex?

      Absolutely, have you seen the Bush’s line up? They are ready for anything.  That theatre is doing such great things.  I am delighted to be performing there.

      It’s such a wonderful, intimate space which really serves this show, I often engage directly with the audience and want them to really feel like they are going on this journey with me.  

      Seriously though, is there a certain Essex “feel” that distinguishes work from that part of the country? Is there something of an attempt of Essex having to shout louder to be heard when so many see it as just an extension of the East End?

      What I like a lot about the Essex work I’ve seen is a lot are funny (even when you are talking about hard subjects), warm hearted, often they are working class stories & you walk away learning something. 

      Havering, the area of Essex I come from, has a really low arts engagement, so it’s great to be able to be a part of Essex On Stage. Saying you are from Essex, even now, can still be met with negative connotations. I was often told when I was training as an actor to lose the accent, become more RP if I wanted to work in theatre.  Not anymore.  Essex & Proud.

      And is Headcase a play that really screams “Essex” or could it easily be a play about anyone, anywhere?

      I think my accent and some of the places I mention will definitely scream ESSEX, like Romford Ice Rink and the A127. Doing the R&D at the Queens Theatre was a wonderful experience, so many Essex people came up to me afterwards and said that they related or had forgotten all about some of the stuff I said.

      We also go to Scotland and back to the 80s, so fear not, there really is something for everyone. Brain Injury is certainly something that affects, directly or indirectly, millions of people. 

      The show, and the rest of the season, were casualties of Vault Festival; how difficult has it been getting plays to the stage when so many shows suddenly lost their slots and were left homeless?

      I have been so lucky with different theatre’s offering HEADCASE a home after the Vaults cancellation.  The Queens Theatre, Trinity, the Bush Theatre & Matthew Schmolle Productions have been all been amazing in finding me a home.

      Do you hope to take the play home to Essex then? Is a spot at Queen’s Theatre, who supported the development, coming soon?

      We have had a couple of R&D sharing’s on the Queen’s ‘Other Stage’ but I would love to play on their main stage. The Mercury would also be a great home for it as well.  Hopefully lots of programmers will come and offer us a home in the future.  Fingers Crossed! I hope you can come.

      Thanks to Kristin for finding the time to chat. Headcase plays as part of Bush Theatre’s Essex On Stage Season between 11 and 16 April. More information on Headcase can be found here, while details of the rest of the season can be found here. More

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      Interview: Down In The Tube Station At Midnight

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      Actor and writer Will Charlton on two plays, Jumper and The Boys

      Our guest on our Runn Radio show this week was Will Charlton. Will is both an actor and writer, so there was plenty to chat about. He is currently preparing to play in Joshua King‘s Jumper at Lion and Unicorn Theatre, and straight after that, he is then gearing up for his own play, The Boys, to make its debut at New Wimbledon Theatre’s Studio space.

      Jumper is set across two time frames five years apart, both on the night’s of elections. And in the first, he is stuck on the underground with a host of other passengers. Whilst The Boys is about struggling to pay the rent and considering the option of becoming a male escort. Both gave us plenty to talk about.

      Jumper plays at Lion and Unicorn between 5 and 9 April. More information and bookings here. More

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      Feature: From TV to the Stage

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      David Fairs on adapting Up In Town from The TV to the stage

      Originally a BBC2 six-part series of shorts, Up In Town might not appear the most obvious programme to revive for the stage. But that is what David Fairs has decided to do with this 20 year old programme. So we asked David to tell us a little more about the show and why now? The show will play at The Hope Theatre for four performances in April. Tickets can be booked here.

      “And then I was up in town. And for the first time ever, I didn’t want to be somebody else. I just wanted to be me.”

      This thought, this feeling, this often all too elusive dream is at the centre of Up In Town – a new 20th anniversary stage adaption of the 2002 Joanna Lumley TV series, playing at Islington’s The Hope Theatre for a limited four-performance run in April. We all want to feel like ourselves or, more specifically, be allowed to feel like ourselves; but in reality this is far from simple for many groups, including, in the case of Up In Town, middle-aged and older women. Sadly, at twenty years old, this story is no less relevant, and this is what attracted the team behind this new adaptation to re-explore the story of Maddie Blakelock as a one-woman show.

      Beginning life in 2002 as a TV series written, produced and directed by Hugo Blick (Emmy-nominated for 2014’s The Honourable Woman), Up In Town tells the story of Maddie, a divorced woman in her fifties, navigating loneliness, invisibility and a feeling of irrelevance. Having workshopped the idea during the depths of the Covid-19 lockdowns, producer/performer Priti Colbeck and writer/director David Fairs are now thrilled, with the blessing of Hugo Blick, to be transforming this beautifully conceived portrait of a flawed, funny, resilient and very real person into a one-hour, one-woman show. 

      Immersing yourself in the intimacy of Maddie’s dressing room, Up In Town is an open yet guarded conversation, the pieces of which gradually reveal a life story that is joyful, ridiculous, hopeful, hilarious, uncomfortable and heartbreaking. From Acapulco to West London, marauding rats to dishy vets, ailing pets to estranged sons, unfaithful husbands to a haunting photograph of a truly happy young woman, your evening with Maddie will be relentless and intoxicating. Always living through the emotion and artifice of cinema, the one thing that has never let her down, is Maddie more Dirk Bogarde or Vivien Leigh? James Dean or Julie Christie? Falling on hard times, those cinematic fantasies might be more important than ever.

      “I’m going to have to make a few more economies… still, that’s all right. Scarlet O’Hara ended up digging her own potatoes.”

      For Priti Colbeck and David Fairs, this has been a labour of love. Priti is herself a trailblazer, having only begun her acting career at the age of fifty; she is passionate about telling the stories of older women who have so much more to offer and so much life to live. David’s work has always revolved around increasing representation and spotlighting the stories of the side-lined. His previous critically-acclaimed plays as a writer include Macbeths and I Know You Of Old (also Hope Theatre productions, the latter of which was then performed at the RSC’s Dell), both of which reconfigure Shakespeare plays to place the female stories of Lady Macbeth, Beatrice and Hero front and centre; his Vault Festival play Tomorrow Creeps interweaved the music and magical empowerment of Kate Bush into a Shakespearian narrative of Hecate and Bronte’s Cathy, while Is He Earnest? told the unapologetically queer story of Oscar Wilde’s gross indecency trial crossed with the 1980s raid of Gay’s The Word (the bookshop at the centre of the wonderful film Pride). While arguably more down-to-earth, this adaptation of Up In Town is a natural successor – a deeply human story about disenfranchisement. For David (a member of the LGBTQ+ community) and Priti (a middle-aged British-Asian woman), this production is very much a celebration and a personal statement.

      So, come down to The Hope Theatre to meet Maddie on 10/11/17/18 April – but remember, fasten you seatbelts… it’s going to be a bumpy night.

      Thanks to David for penning this feature about Up In Town. For further information and to book tickets, visit The Hope Theatre’s website here. More

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      Interview: Lucinda Spragg Telling It Like It Is

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      Grace Millie of Moon Loaf introduces us to professional feather ruffler, Lucinda Spragg.

      Lucinda Spragg: some would call her a creation of Moonloaf and Grace Millie, although Lucinda would no doubt tell us she is her own woman. And she is most certainly a woman on a mission. Right now she is preparing to bring her one woman show, Lucinda Spragg : An Evening With, to Lion and Unicorn Theatre between 29 March and 2 April, where she will be promoting her latest book: Jabbie Dodgers, as well as sharing her wisdom with us.

      So when she asked/ demanded we interview her, we really couldn’t say no, because, quite frankly, we are a little scared of her!

      It’s lovely to meet you Lucinda, why don’t you introduce yourself?

      Good afternoon, Everything Theatre. Lucinda here. I’m sure most of your readers will have heard of me already…

      Sorry, we have to admit, we haven’t personally heard of you before now.

      Well I’ll spell it out for you if I must. I’m Leader of the Regain Party. A freedom fighter, professional feather ruffler, and renegade. I’m a spanner in the works of the London Coffee House Elite. I’m also the host of my podcast, TripadPfizer.

      Of course, I’m sure the Corybnistas would have another answer for you. They’d probably describe me as a ‘controversial political activist’. Clods. 

      Why are you coming back now then?

      I’ve had something of a brief…hiatus. I’ve been back on the scene since October, resisting the democratisation of truth by the neohippies. Now there’s an album/band name combo for some bleeding-heart indie lefties.

      And why don’t you have her own Twitter account like most normal people, just so we can read more of your thoughts?

      Twitter? I’m banned. All reasonable people are. 

      So who would you consider as those reasonable people who Twitter has banned; are you saying people like Trump and Katie Hopkins? Are these your heroes and the people you most hope to emulate then?

      I believe it was Eric Clapton who sang ‘I had to find myself (find myself), I had to find myself (find myself), no use looking for no one else’. I presume that answers your question.

      I’m based on no one but me, baby. Eric Clapton did also recently sing, ‘is this a sovereign nation or just a police state?’, though, so I do like him. I am also a BIG Laurence Fox fan. 

      If we could speak to Grace for a moment and ask, as a writer and actor, do you find this extreme persona of Lucinda taking you over when you are preparing to walk out on stage?

      I’ve got literally no idea what you mean here?

      There seems a whole collection of extreme right-wingers such as yourself who claim to speak for the unheard, but very few that are left-leaning. Do you feel it would be possible to parody those on the left in the same way?

      There’s a very successful parody of, ‘activist, healer, and radical intersectionalist poet’, Titania McGrath. She’s a character written by the genius that is Andrew Doyle. Titania in no way does “exactly what the show accuses online activists of, reducing complex topics to nuance-free quips” (★ – The Guardian). 

      With so much going on in real life and our government at times looking like a parody of themselves, do you feel you have to become even more extreme to remain relevant?

      Again, not sure why I’m being asked this, but, as a general rule, I would say that parodying extremists involves amping up the levels of ridicule rather than creating genuinely extreme content yourself. Or something like that. 

      Moon Loaf’s last production, TIFO, was a very different show in content. How easy is it to produce two such unique shows? Are both connected though through being based around one strong central character?

      Moon Loaf have emailed me this response to give to you: 

      “Hello! Yes, that’s definitely a connection we’ve found helpful. But you’re right, they are very different characters and different worlds. That’s also what’s quite exciting about it, keeps us on our toes. It’s also been nice swapping round and having Kieran (Dee) directing Grace this time! We promise we’ll stop doing one-person shows soon, honestly…”

      Utterly perplexing. Haven’t a clue what they’re on about. 

      Could we see you make any appearances in future shows, there is surely space on the after-dinner speaker circuit for such an inspirational woman as yourself?

      Oh, certainly! I’m promoting my new book ‘Jabbie Dodgers’ at the moment, so that would be perfect. I’d rather speak before dinner, though, if possible. I like my audience hungry (for uncomfortable truths). 

      Finally, what is the best advice you can give us right now with so much focus on the cost of living crisis we are going through?

      Ditch the Pret subscription, buy a house instead. You can’t invest in a café au lait. You’re welcome, internet.

      Our thanks to Grace/ Lucinda for the time to chat to us. You can catch Lucinda Spragg : An Evening With at Lion and Unicorn Theatre 29 March – 2 April. Bookings here. More

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      Interview: Coming Clear about Dirty Hearts

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      Writer Paul Murphy on Dirty Hearts, playing at Old Red Lion 5 – 30 April

      Fringe theatre makers are always coming up with new ways to attract an audience. But we can’t remember one offering a bottle of champagne to a lucky winner if they bought their ticket before the end of February. Of course, gimmicks aside, fringe theatre lives and dies on the quality of its shows. And we reckon Pine Street Productions‘ Dirty Hearts is one that will be worthwhile even without the bribe of that champagne.

      Dirty Hearts will play at Old Red Lion from 5 – 30 April, tickets here.

      So, we thought we’d ask the play’s writer, Paul Murphy, just what it’s all about and why they highlight their No Covid, No Brexit, No Boris rule!

      Let’s start with the obvious, what can you tell us about Dirty Hearts?

      Dirty Hearts is a comedy about the relationships between four friends – Julienne, Ben, Simon and Laura, and what happens when Ben asks Julienne to authenticate a painting owned by one of his clients. It’s about love, truth, friendship and choice.  

      You describe it as “An Existential Comedy for the Age of Anxiety”. That’s quite the mouthful, but what do you really mean by it?

      Everyone has probably said at some point ‘I’m having an existential crisis’: with this show I’m digging a little deeper into what that means. The play is informed by the work of Jean Paul Sartre and Simone De Beauvoir, amongst other. But it isn’t four people sitting around wearing berets and asking; ‘What does it mean to exist?’ It’s about the choices we make and how those choices are what define us as people. It’s about how we see ourselves and how that image of ourselves isn’t always accurate, especially when we’re faced with hard decisions.

      The play looks like it will question the morals of its characters. Is that a fair assessment?

      Moral choices are absolutely at the heart of the play. What’s the right thing to do? Do markets have a responsibility to be moral? The tension between moral absolutism and what Simone De Beauvoir called ‘the ethics of ambiguity’. If that sounds too heavy, don’t worry there’s still plenty of jokes. This isn’t a philosophical symposium, it’s about four people trying to make choices under pressure: the conflict between our ethics and our desires.

      How do wealth managers, art appraisers, doctors and conflict resolution all tie together in the play then?

      Ah, well you’ll have to come and see the play. But the story revolves around one of the characters being asked to authenticate a recently discovered Renaissance painting. That’s the art. The fact that it could be worth tens, if not hundreds of millions of pounds means that for two of the characters the stakes are huge. Conflict resolution provides a framework for how we attempt to resolve conflict, and as every doctor has to abide by the Hippocratic Oath we have a a set of ethics and values that are put to the test. The push and pull of the rational scientific approach and the irrationality of human desire. And when you add love into the mix….

      You make clear in your press release that “This play makes no mention whatsoever of the following: COVID, BREXIT, or Boris Johnson”. In that case, who do you feel should come to see Dirty Hearts?

      The No Covid, No Brexit, No Boris is just my way of saying that if you want a break from the headlines, then this is the show for you. There has been, and will continue to be, some very good work that examines the last few years. But this is a play about conflicting values in a more universal sense, so wherever you sit on the political spectrum there will be an argument that you can relate to. If you think we need a re-evaluation of values as a society you’ll like Simon, if you think capitalism isn’t such a bad think then Ben’s your guy. Need a rational approach to decision making? Laura makes the case. And if certainty is important to you, then Julienne has it covered. 

      Dirty Hearts is a comedy about relationships, so it’s for everyone, regardless of age, background, politics. Everyone has been in love, or been through a heartbreak. If you’ve fallen in love, fallen out of love. Been torn between friends, had to make difficult moral choices, then this is a show for you. 

      What made you decide to give away that bottle of champagne? Are we still seeing difficulties in filling seats in fringe venues because of the massive ticket discounting happening at the larger venues?

      The champagne: well, the play’s above a pub so that seemed appropriate. Selling tickets is always tough, especially for a small independent production. But we have four terrific actors who you will have seen in TV shows like Harlots and The Crown and from work at places like The Almeida. There’s a fantastic director and a wonderful creative team (the set is really going to be something special) so this is a high value production, with tickets at £20 at the most, so it’s a bargain. 

      And what next for Dirty Hearts and Pine Street once this run is completed?

      The next play we’re hoping to do is Unicorn, a three hander set in a tech start-up. Dirty Hearts was only possible because of an investment in Tesla, so Elon Musk, if you’re reading this, send us a cheque for the next one.

      Thanks again to Paul for finding time to chat to us about the play. You can catch Dirty Hearts at Old Red Lion Theatre between 5 – 30 April, bookings can be made via the below link. More