Dalston’s Arcola Theatre has announced its 2023/24 season.
In Studio 1, the opening production is Sputnik Sweetheart, an adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s novel.
Studio 2 opens with Max Wilkinson’s Union, which is followed by Hannah Kumari’s ENG-ER-LAND.
Continuing the season in Studio 2 are Freek Mariën’s The Wetsuitman, Matthew Seager’s In Other Words, and comic drama Gentlemen.
Political comedian Mark Thomas brings Ed Edwards’ England & Son to the theatre in November, before Aoife Kennan’s Scratches completes the season.
Read on for full details of each production…
STUDIO 1
Sputnik Sweetheart
October 23 – November 25, 2023
Based on Haruki Murakami’s novel, adapted for stage by Bryony Lavery and directed by Melly Still
A coming-of-age play from cosy coffee shops in Tokyo all the way to the salty beaches of Greece, as we follow one young man on his mission to find his missing best friend, Sumire. But Sumire is not a damsel in distress. She is bold, she is creative, passionate and headstrong. She’s curiously obsessed with modelling herself in the image of Jack Kerouac, and more than anything, she’s desperately head-over-heels in love with her muse, Miu.
STUDIO 2
Union
July 19 – August 12, 2023
Written by Max Wilkinson and directed by Wiebke Green
On the eve of the biggest deal of her career, Saskia, an uber-successful property developer runs from the meeting, all the way home down the Grand Union Canal. Plagued by phone calls and ghosts, she meets a myriad of characters looking to make or break her. She realises, as her shiny life unravels, that she doesn’t know herself anymore or the city she once loved. Can she still save a little piece of it?
ENG-ER-LAND
August 15-19, 2023
Written and performed by Hannah Kumari and directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair
Kumari brings her acclaimed solo show back for one final public run, to coincide with the Women’s World Cup.
The WetSuitMan
August 29 – September 2, 2023
Written by Freek Mariën, translated by David McKay and directed by Trine Garrett
Three actors, twenty-eight characters, one true story. It’s 2015 on the coast of Norway. A retired architect finds a wetsuit, and in it, the remains of a body. The detective unit hits one dead end after another – until another body in an identical wetsuit washes up in the Netherlands.
In Other Words
September 5-30
Written by Matthew Seager and directed by Andy Routledge
They call it ‘the incident’ now. What happened when they first met. He always said it was part of his ‘romantic plan’, but they both know that’s rubbish. Connected by the music of Frank Sinatra, this intimate, humorous and deeply moving love story explores the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and the transformative power of music to help us remember the past, connect with the present and hope for the future.
Gentlemen
October 4-28
Written by Matt Parvin and directed by Richard Speir
Freshers’ term. Greg has taken to university life like a duck to water. Kasper is struggling to fit in. Summoned to a mediation session with Kasper and the college welfare officer to discuss an accusation of plagiarism, Greg deftly argues his way out of trouble. But when the allegations evolve into something altogether more damaging, how long can Greg remain untouchable?
England & Son
November 14-25
Written by Ed Edwards, performed by Mark Thomas and directed by Cressida Brown
Set when The Great Devouring comes home, England & Son is a one-man play written specifically for political comedian Thomas. With some deep, dark laughs – and some deep, dark love – along the way, England & Son emerges from characters Mark knew in his childhood and Ed’s lived experience in jail. Prepare to be taken on a kaleidoscopic odyssey where disaster capitalism, empire, stolen youth and stolen wealth merge into the simple tale of a working-class boy who just wants his dad to smile at him.
Scratches
November 6-11
Written by Aoife Kennan and directed by Gabriella Bird
Described as a funny and honest new play about self-harm and recovery. Meet GIRL. For too long, she’s been hiding her scratches with unfashionably long socks, clever white lies, and period pads. But now she and her fabulous BEST FRIEND are here to set the record straight.
