Amanda Abbington stars in a theatrical memoir by New York Times best-selling author Tawni O’Dell, directed by Park Theatre’s Artistic Director Jez Bond. Originally premiering Off Broadway with Tawni O’Dell playing herself, When It Happens to You is based on her lived experience as a mother holding her family together after she receives a 3am call that no mother ever wants to get.
Amanda Abbington (Sherlock, Mr Selfridge) takes on the mother role of Tara, originally O’Dell’s role and renamed for the London run, and leads an ensemble cast in a show that mines the depths of human courage and the resolve to survive following a shattering incident.
Joining Amanda Abbington onstage playing her daughter will be Rosie Day, best known for her role as Mary Hawkins on Outlander, as Sarah Jessica Parker’s daughter in All Roads Lead to Rome, and for her debut play Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon which opened at Southwark Playhouse and transferred to the West End.
It is being developed for TV with BBC3 and is transferring to New York in 2025. Miles Molan, last seen at Park Theatre in A Single Man will be playing Connor, and completing the cast is Tok Stephen, who has just made his first appearance as Eddard Waters in House of the Dragon season 2 and is known as series regular Charley in The Larkins.
Tawni O’Dell is a bestselling author on both sides of the Atlantic with titles such as Back Roads, Coal Run and Sister Mine. Her work has been translated into fifteen languages and has been published in over forty countries.
Amanda Abbington said: ‘When Jez sent me When It Happens to You, I immediately read it in one sitting – I couldn’t put it down. The story is important and necessary, and the characters are nuanced, complex and completely relatable. The Mother character of Tara is a gift of a role for any actor, and I’m thrilled to be working with Jez Bond who I know will direct the piece with the care and sensitivity it deserves.’
Jez Bond said: ‘When It Happens to You is an important, timely and powerful piece of theatre. I’m thrilled to be working with Amanda Abbington who read the play and, like me, immediately felt compelled to do it. The best theatre is often a story told simply that connects to the heart of the audience, and I can’t think of a more powerful play to present within the intimate setting of Park200. By equal turns heartbreaking and hopeful, we invite you in to experience this truly theatrical page turner.’
