Full cast has been announced for the UK premiere of Angela Betzien’s play, which will play at the Theatre503 from the 8th November.
Produced by Paperbark Theatre and directed by Audrey Sheffield, The Dark Room looks at at one of the devastating issues of contemporary Australian discourse – the abuse of defenceless children.
Deep into the night, in a run-down motel somewhere in central Australia, six lost souls collide in a distant tragedy of lovesickness and social breakdown – only it’s not the same night. A teenage boy from a nearby country town longs for a stranger. Pregnant Emma longs for her husband, a country cop, drunk after his best friend’s wedding. Anni, a government youth worker accompanied by a withdrawn and violent fourteen-year-old girl, longs for the dawn. As the night draws on, each of them become trapped in a dark and dangerous territory, all searching for a way out.
It has been announced that the cast is set to include: Alasdair Craig (War Horse, National Theatre); Katy Brittain (Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Apollo Theatre; The Deep Blue Sea, National Theatre); Fiona Skinner (Taboo, BBC One; Our Girl, BBC One); Annabel Smith (The Last Ones, Jermyn Street Theatre); Tamlyn Henderson (The Wind In The Willows, Kew Gardens) and Paul Adeyefa (Ransom, CBS; DCI Banks).
Talking about the production, director Audrey Sheffield said: “The Dark Room is a real gift of a play – it immerses us in a richly atmospheric, disturbing and far-away world, which is also instantly recognisable and frighteningly familiar. It’s a joy to have this rare combination of complex characters – beautifully and warmly drawn – whose compelling stories are so ambitiously and intricately played out.”
This UK premiere will feature designs by Jemima Robinson, lighting by Will Monks and sound by Jon McLeod.
The Dark Room will play at Theatre503 from the 8th November until the 2nd December. For more information and to book tickets visit: https://theatre503.com/whats-on/the-dark-room/.