The full cast and creative team have been announced for After Party, a new play by award-winning Scottish playwright Morna Young.
Directed by Paines Plough’s Joint Artistic Director Katie Posner, the production will run at the Traverse Theatre from 6 to 30 August, with previews at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry from 30 July to 1 August, before returning to Coventry from 9 to 12 September.
The cast includes Alison Peebles, Hilary Maclean, Gilly Gilchrist, Liz Kettle, Rachel Dick, Angus Yellowlees, Ruby Glyne, Benny Young and Maryam Hamidi.
Set around an extraordinary 80th birthday gathering, the play follows matriarch Vivienne Blackwood, who summons her fractured family together for what they expect to be a typical celebration.
Instead, Viv announces that the evening marks something far more profound, revealing that the following day will be her last and she wants everyone by her side.
Blending biting wit with tenderness, After Party explores family dynamics, mortality and the complexity of a life-ending decision.
The creative team includes set and costume designer Richard Kent, lighting designer Rory Beaton, sound designer and composer Oguz Kaplangi, movement director Jack Webb and dramaturg Philip Howard.
Katie Posner said: “We are so thrilled to have brought together such a phenomenal Scottish cast and creative team for After Party. Morna’s play is bold, funny and full of heart, and it’s a joy to be bringing it to the stage with such a talented team of actors and so many brilliant collaborators. This feels like a really special moment for us in teaming up once again with our friends at the Traverse Theatre and Belgrade Theatre to make a show on such an exciting scale, while staying true to the intimate, human storytelling we love.”
The production is presented by Traverse Theatre in co-production with Paines Plough and the Belgrade Theatre, with the original idea conceived by Alex Fthenakis and Morna Young.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
