A Royal Exchange Theatre and Bush Theatre co-production

PARLIAMENT SQUARE

By James Fritz

Directed by Jude Christian

Designed by Fly Davis

18 – 28 October at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

30 November – 6 January at the Bush Theatre, London

Royal Exchange Press Night: Friday 20 October, 7.30pm,  Bush Theatre Press Night – Friday 1 December

In his powerful new play PARLIAMENT SQUARE, James Fritz skilfully interrogates the draw of extreme demonstration, compassionately exploring the impact and fall-out of a single, selfless act of protest.

Esther Smith (BBC3’s CUCKOO and UNCLE BBC 3) takes the lead role of Kat, who watches as ‘the world gets worse’ and finds herself compelled to take action. Selected for a Judges Award in the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2015, PARLIAMENT SQUARE deftly asks where the line falls between complete commitment and dangerous obsession. Directed by Jude Christian this compelling World Premiere is a Royal Exchange Theatre co-production with the Bush Theatre. It will run in Manchester from 18 – 28 October before transferring to London from 30 November – 6 January.

Kat gets up one morning, leaves her family behind, and travels to London to carry out an act that will change her life and, she hopes, everyone else’s. But what are the real consequences?

The cast is completed by Damola Adelaja, Seraphina Beh, Lois Chimimba, Kelly Hotten, Joanne Howarth and Jamie Zubairi.

Esther Smith is perhaps most recognisable for her role as Rachel in the hit comedy CUCKOO and Melodie in UNCLE, both for BBC 3. A stage and screen actor she has most recently been seen as Delphi Diggory in HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD (Sonia Friedman/Palace Theatre).

James Fritz’s first full-length play, FOUR MINUTES TWELVE SECONDS, was runner-up in the Soho Theatre’s 2013 Verity Bargate Award and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre. It then won him “Most Promising Playwright” at the Critics Circle Theatre Awards 2015. His other plays include ROSS & RACHEL and THE FALL (written for the National Youth Theatre’s 60th anniversary season, 2016). His radio play COMMENT IS FREE won both the Imison and the Tinniswood Awards at the BBC Audio Drama Awards.

Director Jude Christian makes her Royal Exchange Theatre and Bush Theatre debuts. As a director, theatre includes: LELA & CO (Royal Court), THE DARKEST CORNERS (Transform); THE PATH (Hightide); BLUE (RWCMD); SPLIT/MIXED (Summerhall); HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT/BWYTA ELIFFANT, SUT MAE GWNEUD HYNNYDWEDWCH? (National Youth Theatre of Wales); HAPPY, THE MUSHROOM (Pentabus Young Writers’ Festival). Jude is a Creative Associate at the Gate Theatre and an Associate Artist at The Yard Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith.