Arcola Theatre today announces the world première of Keith? A Comedy. Oscar Pearce directs Mark Jax (Morgan), Natalie Klamar (Roxy), Joseph Milson (Keith), Aki Omoshaybi (Mohammed), Sara Powell (Veena) and Lizzie Winkler (Anna). The production opens on 18 February, with previews from 13 February, and runs until 9 March.
A South African gun runner turned Buddhist monk. A gullible start-up millionaire. His radical feminist ex-wife. Their aid worker daughter. The young British Muslim she met in Syria. An ethical Serbian hitman. And an unstable Brazilian cleaner.
Modern Britain.
Moral chaos.
Total nightmare.
Patrick Marmion said today, “I wanted to write a comedy about the head spinning madness and recrimination of life in modern Britain. I thought Moliere might help so I eviscerated him and threw in a supernatural conman inspired by Euripides’s Dionysus. Keith? is what emerged. I hope it goes some way to capturing the way we’re all walking on eggshells, terrified of giving offence…luckily life isn’t nearly as bad as we’re supposed to think it is! It’s great to be back at the Arcola doing a straight comedy; I can’t quite believe what an amazing cast we’ve got. Hopefully, they’ll bring the house down.”
Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen, said today, “We’re thrilled to be welcoming back the team behind last season’s Great Apes and their brilliant new play, making its debut at Arcola. Inspired by Molière’s writing Keith? is a new comedy by Patrick Marmion, directed by exceptionally talented Oscar Pearce. In a time of fake news, chaotic governments and media manipulation, Patrick Marmion’s new play finds comedy in corruption, and forge farce out of deceit and lies we tell each other.”
