Event Details

 

TALES FROM BEHIND THE TWITCHING CURTAIN

 

A collection of interlinked dark tales dealing with modern anxiety and isolation. Whilst exploring such things as mental health, childlessness and the realities of being trapped in a system once sectioned, it maintains humour and hope.

 

The piece happily airs it’s dirty laundry in public – we all have dirty pants...no shame. By dealing with issues honestly and with irreverent humour we invite the audience to realise that they are not alone. Tails aims to further open dialogue about people struggling with their mental anguish.

 

“IS IT TOO LATE TO SAY I’M NOT COMING? WHAT KIND OF LAST MINUTE THING CAN HAPPEN?….I’VE HAD A FALL? NO I’M NOT NINETY. ER…MUM HAS HAD A STROKE? WOW..NO..BIT MUCH. MY CAT HAS HAD A STROKE. DO CATS HAVE STROKES?”

 

There are eight stories ranging from the strain of trying to find a decent blinkin excuse not to go out, because you just can’t face it (Just how many grandmother’s funerals have you attended this year?) to someone locked away, dying unseen, unable to get out even if they wanted to. The tales are individual pieces but they spider into each other, as they share a commonality of social anxiety. We really are not as alone as we think.

 

“TO THIS DAY IT DOESN’T SEEM COMMON. I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS HAD A MISCARRIAGE. I MEAN I MUST KNOW SOMEONE- STATISTICALLY I MUST- BUT I DON’T KNOW THAT I KNOW. NOBODY EVER TALKS ABOUT IT”

 

The pressure of living in a world pretty clearly spiralling in an alarming way, exaggerates our anxiety. The play asks if it is really a world to bring a baby into? But what is the personal cost of childlessness? We are increasingly lonely, craving contact and yet fearing it. Still, however bad things get in this world...there are always dogs. Dogs are just brilliant. Or kitties – they are good too.

 

 

A new play by Rosalind Blessed following her 7 week extended run with ‘The Delights of Dogs and the Problems of People’ and Directed by Zoé Ford Burnett (RSC, Donmar Warehouse, Hiraeth) who recently worked with Sam Mendes on the Lehman Trilogy for the National.

 

CAST:

HELEN BANG

ROSALIND BLESSED

LIAM MULVEY

NICK MURPHY

CHRIS PORTER

CHRIS PYBUS

KATE TYDMAN

DUNCAN WILKINS

 

 

For Delights of Dogs,

 

“The play of the year for me was The Delights of Dogs and the Problems of People”

Andrew O’Hagan, New York Times Magazine

 

“Blessed has plenty to say and a strong voice that demands to be heard” The Stage

 

“I believe it has the potential to save lives” London theatre1

 

“Without doubt one of the strongest pieces of theatre the courtyard has hosted to date” Female Arts

 

“The sheer power of this gripping piece of theatre cannot be ignored” The Student Newspaper

 

 

Sunday 16th - Monday 17th December 2018 at 7.30pm

 

TICKETS £12 (£10 CONCESSIONS)

For further ticket information please click here or call 0333 012 4963 for all booking enquiries.