A prescient look at London’s troubles
Red Stitch Theatre continues its knack for sourcing award-winning overseas works with its newest production The Orphans, a Dennis Kelly-penned psychological thriller that arrives at the theatre company with a swag of UK awards.
The play also sees Red Stitch unwittingly tap into the zeitgeist, thanks to its close parallels with the recent London riots.
“It was written in 2009, but with the riots only a couple of months ago it’s even more relevant than ever. Red Stitch programmed it before the riots, but audiences will definitely come in with that in their minds,” actor Paul Ashcroft said.
“Imara [Savage, director] was as excited as you could be about a riot, because it’s just exactly what we’re talking about in The Orphans.”
The play is set entirely in a London living room, with the violence of the streets unfolding off-stage. Ashcroft’s character Liam arrives at his sister’s house with blood on his hands from helping a stranger in trouble — or so he says.
“He says he’d found someone who’d been bashed by a gang of youths and helped the person out, but as the play goes on you realise there’s more going on than he’s willing to admit,” he said.
“Dennis Kelly really cleverly teases it out like any good psychological thriller — it’s going to be a challenge for the audience separating fact from fiction.”
INFO: The Orphans, Red Stitch, October 7 – November 5. www.redstitch.net
