Preview Late Company

The press launch of Late Company took place around a dinner table, you might reasonably ask why? It all becomes clear when you realise that this play is indeed set at a dinner party. An opportunity for retribution? Seeking answers to questions or just a chance to confront the person believed to have attributed to your son’s death. Written by Canadian writer Jordan Tannahill this play will be part of Finborough’s celebrations of Canada’s 150th birthday.

Synopsis

One year after a terrible tragedy; 2 sets of parents, one dead son, one living son. Who is to blame?

A suburban dinner party for closure after 17 year-old Joel commits suicide. The guests; his heartbroken mother and father, his so-called tormentor Curtis, and his parents.

Far from finding the peace they seek, the dinner strips bare their good intentions to reveal layers of parental, sexual, and political hypocrisy.

Written with sensitivity and humour, Late Company explores restorative justice, cyber bullying, and the ever-changing complexities of parenthood in the 21st century.

Cast

Todd Boyce (Michael)

David Leopold (Curtis)

Alex Lowe (Bill)

Lucy Robinson (Debora)

Lisa Stevenson (Tamara)

Creatives

Jordan Tannahill (Writer)

Michael Yale (Director)

Eilene Davidson (Producer)

Zahra Mansouri (Costumes)

Nic Farman (Lighting)

Chris Prosho (Sound)

Late Company mini Interviews

I caught up with Lucy Robinson and Todd Boyce and asked a couple of questions about this very current and relevant play.

How do feel to be part of this very relevant and current play?

Lucy – I have a teenage son and so it’s the first role that I’ve questioned myself as to whether it’s too real. And if it wasn’t brilliantly written then I may have thought differently.

Todd – Jordan has written something incredibly insightful and the fact he was just 23 when he wrote four rounded middle-aged characters. I like the fact that we all are arrive at the same time, we are all equal.

Only 43% of children that are bullied report it, but only one in ten of those tell their parents – A terrible and thought-provoking  fact.

Lucy & Todd – It exposes many different questions about parenthood and relationships.

Caroline – I make no secret about the fact I was bullied at school. The difference being that when I went home I could shut the door and that was it until I returned to school. With the advent of cyber bullying, bullies are everywhere, there is no hiding place. A truly terrifying fact. This play is extremely relevant and thought-provoking.

Outside of Late Company

I was interested in Lucy and Todd so asked a couple of non Late Company questions and of course my quirky questions.

Whats been your favourite roles to date?

Lucy – Miss Lucy Sweet Bird of Youth most actors will tell you they like to be stretched and that was one of those roles. Earlier in my career I took on Lady MacBeth

Todd – In my earlier career Nick in Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf. The Last of The Boys at Southwark Playhouse more recently.

Lucy – I like the generational span of roles and casts when I’m involved in a production. At different stages in your life you can relate to and give additional aspects to the roles you play. And so I enjoy seeing that process of when a cast first come together, the rehearsals.

Quirky Questions 

If you could go back in time when would you go back to and why?

Lucy – I’d want to change sex as well because I’d like to be a boy player. I’d like to do it as a women but I wouldn’t be on the stage as a women in those times. I’d like to be Juliet as a 14-year-old boy in Elizabethan England.

Todd – I’d like to go back to Roman times and hear the roar of the lions in the Coliseum and feel in that heavy environment – I think it would be fascinating.

If you could be a super hero or have a super power who would be or what would have and why? 

Todd – I’d like to say cure the sick but actually I just want to fly that wouldn’t be so much fun.

Lucy – I wouldn’t mind being Elastigirl from The Incredibles so that nowhere is off-limits

Todd – Can I have a second one? I’d like to be invisible not in a creepy way I just think it would be fun and useful.

Who do you think is the most influential person in the world today?

Lucy –  I think someone to watch is Marine Le Pen.

Todd – Jared Kushner I think is an interesting one.

Michael Yale and Eilene Davidson

How did you come to be doing this particular play?

Eilene – Well I’m based in America so we read it over Skype the characters and everything. We realised half way through that it was absolutely fantastic and that we both loved it. And thought ok – can we get the rights to this. We found out that it hadn’t been put on in the UK which was a bonus for us and we got the European rights for the play.

Eilene – I knew I wanted it in a small theatre this is an intimate piece and so I spoke to Neil at the Finborough and he said I know this play, I love this play. And so that’s why it’s going to be there.

It’s all come about very quickly, since January Caroline wow really? That is fast for a production. 

Michael – One of Stage Traffic’s reasons for being is we want people to be able to recognise themselves within the piece. They want an audience to see something relevant to them.

My personal thoughts on the play……

I’m not a parent but even the smallest excerpt of the play I saw evoked memories of my experiences of being bullied. I can’t stress enough how vital and relevant this piece seems. There are moments of light, it’s not all dark but more than anything it needs to be felt after all this is based on a true story of a Canadian politicians son.

Quirky Questions

If you could go back in time when would you go back to and why?

Eilene – 1960’s good music, cutting ideas, challenging the status quo.

Michael – The 1920’s I like the design I’m a big fan of Art Deco.

If you could be a super hero or have a super power who would be or what would have and why?

Eilene – Wonder Woman and I’d like to be able to fly

Michael –  Batman and I’d like laser beams to come out of my eyes to zap people.

Who do you think is the most influential person in the world today?

Both for the wrong reasons Trump!

 

LISTINGS

LATE COMPANY

25 APRIL – 20 MAY 2017

WRITTEN BY JORDAN TANNAHILL

DIRECTED BY MICHAEL YALE

FINBOROUGH THEATRE

Press Night: 27 April

Performances: Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm & Saturday – Sunday at 3.00pm

Ticket Prices:

Prices until 7 May – Tickets £16, £14 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £14 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £16 all seats. Previews (25 and 26 April) £12 all seats.

£10 tickets for Under 30’s for performances from Tuesday to Sunday of the first week when booked online only.

£12 tickets for residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on Saturday, 29 April 2017 when booked online only.

Prices from 9 May – Tickets £18, £16 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £16 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £18 all seats.

Group Bookings – 1 free ticket for every 10 tickets booked.

Address: Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, London, SW10 9ED

Box Office: 0844 847 1652

Website: www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

Twitter: @LateCompany

Facebook: @Late Company